The Infamous Residents of SLK
by TheWhyteRabbyt
Summary: College freshman Amy Rose is warned against socializing with Sigma Lambda Kappa, but ends up at their dorm through a series of chance meetings. Juggling friendships, escaping rival frat houses and discovering yourself has never been so hard-or so fun!
1. Across the Road and to the Right

**Hello and welcome back to any of my returning readers! After much deliberation and planning that spanned back as far as during the last few chapters of _Advents_, I have decided to foist this bizarre, Frankenstein'd genre story upon you. Out of my love for you, I warn you now that this will not be the dramatic adventure story _Advents_ was, nor is it a romance. Rather, I'm stretching my skills to try and practice a new style, mostly revolving around bizarre situations and my own terrible form of comedy (I like bad puns and cliches; kill me). If this alternate universe appeals to you, carry on! If not, try one of my other stories, which will probably be infinitely better than this one. **

**As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to review or PM me. Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!**

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1: Across the Road and to the Right or, "Stay Away from SLK!"

Station Square: a sprawling metropolis in the heart of West Mobius. Home to a beach-side casino, several illustrious hotels and a super mall three stories tall, it stands to reason it would also possess the largest college for miles. Sure enough, Linehardt University was a glorious campus filled with antique architecture, a massive commons center where (school regulated) events were held, and six dormitories in the form of antebellum mansions.

At the northern end of the property, three stately buildings guarded a courtyard complete with cherub fountain and fine, iron-wrought benches. A wide cobblestone path sprouted from the courtyard, meandering through a medium-sized forest and a delicate, manicured garden. Beyond the trees the road led to the dorms. On one side of the path were the sorority houses, kept tidy and welcoming by high-class young ladies. On the other, testosterone reigned supreme in the form of fraternities, where more than once the headmaster had delved to warn male students not to leave underwear on the lawn.

However, if one had a more experienced eye, it could be seen that the final frat house, Sigma Lambda Kappa, was placed just a bit further away from the rest. No one knew how long it had been that way and few had dared to find out. Sigma Lambda Kappa was the house for... _special_ pledges, or so the rumor went. So when Amy Rose arrived early one spring morning at Gamma Nu Omega, she eyed the dingy white mansion that sat across-the-road-and-to-the-right with boiling curiosity. Her best friend and Linehardt veteran of one year, Rouge the Bat, greeted her at the front door and instantly tried to squash the pink hedgehog's longing expression.

"Don't even think about it," Rouge yanked Amy's face towards her own. "If you only obey me for _one _time in your life, let this be it. Do _not_ go near SLK." Amy frowned slightly, her strawberry-glossed lips puckering. She blinked green eyes in question.

"Why not, Rouge? I'm just wondering why their house is so far away..."

"Trust me," the white bat groaned as she lifted one of Amy's heavy suitcases and began to pull it up the front steps. Upon reaching the top, she plopped the luggage down and gestured at the forbidden building with a scowl. "It's better like this. Those guys are nuts." Amy turned back to give the house one final stare. A cool breeze blew, ruffling her quills. It carried the scent of fate and Amy Rose had a feeling that—by the end of the week—she'd know exactly why Sigma Lambda Kappa was so displaced.

The moment reeking of cliché destiny passed and the young lady grabbed the rest of her things, stomping up the stone stairs with purpose.

_Amy Rose, you are going to listen to Rouge and focus on having a good first year._ She took a deep breath—and entered her new house. Met with a bustle of activity, Amy could only gape at her surroundings. Older girls scrambled around for backpacks, talking about psych classes and carrying textbooks that looked like they weighed the same as cinder blocks. A sizable staircase sat just past the tile entry, carpeted a dark blue. On each side a hallway curled away, leading to a kitchen and imposing dining room on the left, a den and bathroom on the right. Overhead, a crystal chandelier lit everything clearly. Amy blinked.

"Well come _on_, sweetie, we have to get you settled in." Rouge was pulling the luggage up the staircase, trying to stay out of the way of two statuesque minks making their way down. Amy scuffled after her friend, trying not get underfoot. The upstairs stretched on either side of the top, hallways lined with large windows and bedroom doors. Plush carpet squished underfoot and Amy's heart began to flutter as daydreams bloomed in her mind. Linehardt University at last! Just then, one of the bedroom doors burst open and a tall, slim swallow came stomping out, oblivious to the newcomer. Leaning over the stair rail, she raised a motor component and shouted loud enough to rattle the chandelier.

"MARINE! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO BUY YOUR OWN GEAR?!" When the echo of her voice ceased, she examined the bauble and wire, grimacing in lament. "Gonna have to buy a whole new set of copper..." Her blue eyes suddenly met Amy's, and she raised her eyebrows haughtily, "Who are you, then? Never seen you around GNO."

Amy's mouth opened and closed before she gained her voice back, "I-I'm Amy Rose... I just arrived for spring quarter..." _This girl is so... _intense! _And why does everyone here look like a model?_

The swallow crossed her arms and appraised the underclassman with narrow eyes, "Hmm... I'm Wave. What classes are you in?"

"Just basics," the pink hedgehog stammered, "um... math, literature..."

"Good," the swallow-called-Wave huffed. She stalked past Amy back to her room before turning and shaking the hunk of metal at her, "Stay out of the engineering wing; that's _my _business, no matter what Marine says."

"Who's Mari—" Amy began, but Wave slammed the door, leaving her alone in the hallways. The bell for morning classes rang faintly. Rouge suddenly appeared at Amy's side, causing her to jump.

"I see you met Wave. She's not a _bad_ person, just high-strung." Amy nodded and Rouge grabbed her hand, pulling her to the end of the hall. "Can't leave you alone for one minute, huh? Here's our room." They arrived in a small bedroom, the last in the house. It was divided in two by a set of oak desks; one side of the room was completely decorated in bubblegum-pink and silver, with several fluffy, heart-shaped pillows filling the bunk. Rouge pointed at the other side of the room, where an austere bed was pressed against the window. "That's your side. Feel free to deck it out however you please. Bathroom schedule is on your desk and I rustled up a list of eligible _bachelors _to go with it." The bat winked one of her powder-blue eyes, a playful smirk toying with her glossy lips.

"Thanks so much for making my pledge work out," Amy finally began to relax after seeing her bed. She turned and hugged her friend gratefully. Rouge shrugged, flipping a hand through her platinum hair.

"No biggie. It gets lonely in this big house with no one familiar." She yawned, "Now... I stayed up late to bring you in. I'm gonna try to catch a nap before night classes start. Don't make too much noise while you unpack." She wandered over to the gaudy bed, kicked off her high-heel boots, and fell onto the pillows. Snores emerged moments later, and Amy suppressed a chuckle.

_Oh, Rouge... I can't thank you enough._

The red-clad girl pulled her suitcases into a circular formation at the edge of the bed and plopped down to sort her belongings. Two hours dragged by and the sun rose into a higher position. Amy finally fell back on her bed, stretching from prolonged hunched position. A pleased sigh escaped her lips and the sun streaming from the window warmed her achy limbs. It was a good thing Rouge had opened the windows before her arrival; the breeze gave the entire setting a very homey feel.

The bell for afternoon classes rang.

Then, the most obnoxious car Amy had ever had the misfortune of hearing tore down the cobbled path and rumbled right in front of the sorority house—or so it sounded. Amy drowsily lifted her head, rolling over to place her chin on the window sill. The car _wasn't_ right outside the house. It was idling in the driveway of the forbidden dorm, Sigma Lambda Kappa. It was bright blue and _incredibly_ small, which caused Amy to blink in surprise when six people dragged themselves out of the doors on either side.

A blue hedgehog, jumped out of the driver's seat, flailing and chanting "HOO HOO HOO". A white hedgehog with ridiculous-shaped quills guffawed and floundered along with the blue one, and a black-and-red hedgehog helping some sweat-shirted creature out from the car. The person—who had their hood pulled over their face—kicked their leg out beneath the blue hedgehog and hissed in a strangely feminine voice, "Shut _up_ already!" On the passengers' side stood a purple chameleon who seemed to stagger with every step and a husky red echidna, stretching muscled arms and yawning. The bizarre group of people waddled haphazardly up their drive, stumbling over the pavement and making raucous conversation. When they finally opened the front door, they disappeared as suddenly as they had come: in a cacophony and the chameleon following behind, saying, "Sonic, there are people _sleeping_!"

Amy gawked, fully alert from the scene. She continued to stare, half expecting the house to erupt into a full-blown party with techno and strobe lights. When the sun began to blind her, she leaned back onto her bed, exhaling vacantly. Rouge's bed creaked. The white bat shifted up to glare at the window.

"_That_ is why you don't go near SLK."

Amy only nodded, more curious than ever.

* * *

First thing next morning, Amy woke with hope for a wonderful first day and patiently waited her turn to shower. After clothing herself in the nicest outfit she could muster—a simple red dress with a gray cardigan and red boots—she gathered her class list, backpack, and a campus map. She took one deep breath before braving the outside at the heels of some upperclassmen. A short, sherbet-colored echidna with beaded dreadlocks and a chipmunk with cropped auburn hair. The air was crisp and the cobblestone made a delightful sound with every high heel that fell on it. Amy smiled pleasantly, falling into a comfortable rhythm with the rest of the exodus.

"Did you hear about that incident in the chemistry lab yesterday?" The echidna remarked to the chipmunk, twirling a lock around her finger. The chipmunk shrugged in response. The echidna continued, "I heard it was Triple S again. Poor Mr. Rothshire has to write to the school board for a new set of chem vials; every last flask was destroyed." This seemed to catch the chipmunk's attention. She stood a little straighter and put her phone away.

"What did they do, _exactly_?"

The echidna chuckled, "Don't worry, Sally... They just melted them all with drain cleaner. I'm sure you'll be able to do that experiment you've been looking forward to." The chipmunk—apparently 'Sally'-wilted.

"I'll never get a proper education with those fools around... Lucky they're cute, otherwise I'd try to get them expelled."

"E-excuse me," Amy spoke up. The two older girls turned, looking her up and down with blasé expressions. Amy cleared her throat, "Um... Who is Triple S?" Sally groaned and the echidna girl grinned. She folded her arms behind her back and swayed in place. Amy looked between them, confused. After a moment, Sally waved a hand dismissively and rolled her eyes.

"Go on, Tikal, spill."

Tikal the Echidna squeaked happily before grabbing Amy's hand and pulling her to walk between Sally and herself. She began chattering away as if it wasn't seven in the morning, "First of all, Triple S isn't just _one_ person. There are three of them." She held up three fingers in Amy's face, wiggling them childishly, "Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. They make up the most interesting group of characters at this school, but their friends sure hold their own. Basically," Tikal bit her lips teasingly, "if you hear about any trouble or weird happenings around here, you can guarantee Triple S has a hand it." Amy nodded, filing away the information for later use. After she memorized the names, she cocked her head.

"What house do _they_ belong to?"

Sally frowned and spoke in monotone, "Sigma Lambda Kappa."

A chill ran up Amy's spine as memories of the previous night flooded back. Sometime after Rouge had left and Amy was just falling asleep for the night, noises began to filter up to the bedroom window. She had looked out again, assuming it was just some late night class students trying to get to the school. Unexpectedly, the dorm across-the-road-and-to-the-right had flared to life once more. It seemed as if every light was on, including the porch sconce. The front door was thrown open and the troop of six from earlier filed down to the driveway. The blue hedgehog tackled the white one, both launching over the side of the landscaping and falling onto the front lawn below. They wrestled for a bit before the black hedgehog came stomping down the stairs and shouted after them.

"Break it up, idiots. It's my turn to drive tonight and I'm not waiting for you to get out your _bromantic _urges." Behind him the hooded person and the chameleon trailed almost hesitantly. Finally, the buff echidna barreled over the flower beds and landed next to the brawling hedgehogs. Laughing boisterously, he pulled them apart.

"Get in the car, losers." He pumped a fist in the air, "Karaoke at Lenny's tonight!"

The blue hedgehog broke free from the echidna's grasp, beginning to dance and cheer, "Lenny's, Lenny's, Lenny's!" After a minute, the whole group joined in at varying volumes and they piled into the little blue car. It roared to life, backed out and tore away, the sound of techno music fading after it.

Amy had pushed away her desire for the smallest scrap of knowledge, instead rolling over to burrow beneath her flannel pillow and hope for a good morning.

"Hey, girl?"

Amy shook her head, breaking out of her reverie with an awkward giggle, "Sorry, I... I must have spaced out."

Tikal eyed her warily, "If you say so. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about Triple S affecting you directly. They're pretty detached, if the position of their house didn't give that away. You're a freshman besides, right?" Amy nodded. Tikal bobbed her head as if saying "then you're fine". By some premonition, the sherbet echidna checked her phone. Her face contorted into a worried frown, "_Crap_, I'm going to be late for Psych! See-ya, Sal. Oh," she smiled warmly at Amy as she jogged away, "have a good first day!" Sally stopped walking and turned to the younger pink hedgehog.

"Like she said, Triple S won't give you too much trouble. As long as you stay away from SLK, you'll be totally fine." She looked at her phone and back at Amy, "My Debate class is starting. See you later." She turned on her heel and marched away. Amy stood in the middle of the path, bewildered and just a _teeny _bit nervous. The wind blew, moving the edge of her dress as she stared at the ground, deep in thought. Suddenly a string of expletives erupted behind her and a blue blur shot past. It doubled back and materialized in front of her in the form of the blue hedgehog wearing a letter-jacket. Amy Rose gulped.

Sally was right. He _was_ cute. His quills spiked out behind him in a bed-head style, and deep-green eyes flicked up and down her form with a practiced glint. He finally let out a low whistle.

"Haven't seen you around here before, cutie! You a freshman?"

Amy attempted not to choke on her tongue, "...yes."

The blue hedgehog grinned, "Cool-cool. What's your name?"

"Amy Rose." Her heart was fluttering and her stomach was all tangled up! Who! Why!

He nodded and gave her a cheeky expression, "Cute name, too. Too bad I'm already late for class, or I'd..." The morning bell rang and he cursed under his breath, "I'd better be going, is what! Listen," he turned to go, "I'll see ya around, cutie."

Amy nearly fainted before she recovered just enough to shout after him, "Wait! What's your name?"

He turned once more and threw her a wink with a thumbs up, "Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog." After that, he bolted away in the blink of an eye. Amy fanned herself with a hand, attempting to quell her anxiety. Since arriving at Linehardt, she had received vehement warnings to beware of Sigma Lambda Kappa more than "welcomes". The house was creepily far away and the residents were obnoxiously loud at all times of day. She had done nothing but repeat the same mantra in her head: _Focus on a good first year. Don't get in trouble_. She didn't want anything to do with Sigma Lambda Kappa!

So why did she feel like she had just kissed Ryan the Gosling?

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**Cue shuddering at possibly the worst pun in all of history. I know... this is a far cry than the quality of my other work. If you liked it, excellent! If not, tell me why in a _helpful _critique. Thanks again!**


	2. In Fair Linehardt Where We Lay Our Scene

**I'm surprised that went over as well as it did, eheh.**

_Lost and Forgotten Memories: Yay! Perfect is excellent news! I love Wave; I've never actually played any of the games she's in, but I researched her a LOT because her personality is so delightfully complex. I wanted to represent her well and I'm glad that came across. (Although, I am curious about the thing that bothered you. Even if nothing changes I do take my reader's personal preference very seriously)_

_DahserMan1025: I definitely thought I'd be more winded after finishing _Advents_, but I realized the most important thing for writing well is to just keep writing. No brakes on the learning train! I hope you enjoy this, as it's definitely far from my area of expertise._

_Nab-Nab450: Down the narrow, dirt road in my mind called 'Arrogance', I initially came up with this idea as a challenge to all the other school-fic writers. There is a bizarre sort of appeal to the idea of nearly any fandom's characters being put in a school setting, but it's usually executed so poorly and with severe OOC, useless drama. I wanted a more mature take on a long-dead beaten horse. Granted, there will be random humor, but it will reach far beyond that of "bacon is a funny word, I'll say it a lot" type jokes. I digress! I welcome you back with open arms and hope you enjoy!_

**My husband who betas my chapters will not let me live "Ryan the Gosling" down. Little does he know. This chapter is long and slightly dull, but it serves as a gateway to a grander path. Please, meander with me.**

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2: In Fair Linehardt, Where We Lay Our Scene

Amy slipped into her first class, Advanced Literature, as discreetly as she could. Unfortunately, due to her long chat with Sally and Tikal as well as being stopped by Sonic, she was too late to choose a seat with deliberation. Each row she passed was full to the brim and no one wanted to make room for "some new kid". After her hike up the bleacher-like lines, she reached the final row, which overlooked the lecture room like a box-seat in a football stadium. The last available chair was next to a lavender cat, whose tight ponytail and slanted gold eyes were... intimidating to say the least. Amy shakily pointed to the seat. The cat leaned back from her notebook and gave the pink hedgehog a neutral stare before shrugging and returning to her papers. Amy sighed and plopped down in the seat. Suddenly, the cat spoke. Her voice was vaguely familiar and Amy had to force herself to listen instead of trying to place it.

"I'll let you sit here today, but don't think you can do it again if you're some immature girl here for the boys."

"What? How rude!" Amy blurted, instantly regretting it as gold eyes looked sidelong at her with a chilly expression. The cat sighed and leaned back in her seat once more, crossing her arms.

"_Sorry_. I guess you couldn't be _completely _foolish if you got into Advanced Lit as a freshman. What's your name?"

"Amy Rose... and yours?"

"Blaze the Cat. There. Pleasantries aside, my statement still stands. If you _are_ frivolous, I will make sure that this seat is never available again." Before Amy could respond, the room went silent. She turned her attention to the front, so far away and small-looking. A badger stood at the front of the room in a stuffy tweed suit, shuffling papers at his desk. He scanned the rows of students with a critical eye, only pausing on one parrot with a glaring mohawk hairstyle before continuing on. At last, he rumbled out in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Welcome to Advanced Literature, Day One, dear students. I am Professor Bramble. I trust you will all bring your own supplies from this day to the end of the quarter. You're all adults and I will not tolerate slacking. Now," he gestured at the pile of papers he had shuffled. "The syllabus is on my desk. Do I have a volunteer to hand out stacks to the front row? Yes, you there." A yellow rabbit carefully doled out even stacks to the first row of students. The professor waited in silence until each of the papers were passed around. Amy took hers and skimmed the list of books they'd be covering.

"Ooh, _Persuasion_!"

"Don't get too excited," Blaze stated blandly. "I took Bramble's Beginning Lit. He hates romance and only makes us read the first and last chapters of whatever book he chooses." She frowned suddenly, giving Amy a curious glance, "You weren't expecting a lot of lovey stuff, were you? Bramble is known across campus to focus on one genre. That's why I took his class."

Amy's stomach began to twist, "What... what genre?"

Blaze smiled, an uncomfortably coy expression for the one-word statement, "Horror." Amy Rose bit her lip and looked at the syllabus again, a single thought echoing in her mind.

_Why me?_

"Young lady, you in the very back!" Professor Bramble growled. Amy jumped and looked at him. He frowned, "Don't think you can get away with chattering just because you're all the way back _there_. I have the ears of an owl." Amy nodded vigorously while Blaze looked bored. After gritting his teeth, the badger began to address each point of the syllabus. When he was halfway through, the male squirrel on the other side of Blaze leaned over and whispered nigh-imperceptibly.

"You think Triple S are going to quiet down anytime soon?"

Blaze raised her eyebrows and looked down at him, suddenly appearing very regal, "_Shadow_ doesn't partake in the noise factor. It's the other two." Amy listened with interest. Sounded like Blaze had a thing for one of the troublesome trio. She smiled at the idea of this prickly person having a crush; it just seemed so... awkward. Professor Bramble growled again.

"I will _not_ warn you again, Miss Hedgehog!" Amy leaned away from the cat and nodded.

_I hope the rest of my classes go smoother._

* * *

After a harrowing hour where Amy was forced to remain utterly silent lest she be scolded again, the bell rang and she escaped to her next class, Physics I. The halls were crowded and she had to study her map several times before realizing she was in the wrong building entirely. After running down the stairs and nearly slipping on a puddle near a drinking fountain, she sprinted across the courtyard to the Maths and Sciences building. Out of breath and clothing mussed, the freshman finally stepped through the door of the classroom she was _positive_ was the right one. She was met with raucous laughter and the sight of a fuming lizard, who was scolding a familiar pair of hedgehogs, red-faced.

It was Sonic and his albino friend. The white hedgehog was giggling madly as he juggled—alarmingly—a laptop computer, a glass paperweight, and a fire extinguisher. The funny grouping of quills on his forehead wiggled comically. Sonic stood by, cheering him on as the class roared with glee. The lizard flailed his hands.

"Silver the Hedgehog, _stop _disrupting my freshman class this instant!"

The white hedgehog (known as 'Silver') only grinned, "Easy, Mr. Spine! I'm giving them an introductory lesson in the breakable laws of physics!" Amy noticed a strange cyan glow to each of the items Silver played with. As he juggled, suddenly the laptop went shooting towards the audience, only to be pulled back as if on an invisible cord. Professor Spine shook his fists.

"_You _are an exception! You can't let them think _they_ have telekinesis, too! My classroom will be in ruins!" Amy realized the white hedgehog was using his mind to control the items rather than actual juggling. She spluttered in shock.

"But, that's _impossible_!"

Silver stopped his false juggling, letting the objects settle and hover in the air. The entire room turned its eyes on the pink hedgehog, half upset at her interruption and half curious as to who she was. Sonic's face lit up with recognition and he stepped towards her.

"Hey, it's the cutie freshman from before! What a coincidence, eh?"

Amy was painfully aware as the class' stares turned frigid, "Yeah... funny seeing you here..."

"Eh, don't worry," Sonic laced his fingers behind his head, motioning with his chin at the room, "Silvs and I aren't held back or anything. We're in Chem two."

"How nice," Amy said weakly. The blue hedgehog's charm was greatly reduced as she stood under the proverbial microscope of the student body. Sonic turned to nudge his friend in the ribs.

"Well, let's let the new girl have a good first class with Spiny over here." He saluted the old lizard playfully, "See ya later, Spiny!"

"Just get out," the teacher spat back. Silver gently placed the laptop, paperweight and fire extinguisher down on the professor's desk before throwing his hands in the air in double peace signs.

"I'll be here all week!"

"Not if you don't want to get _expelled_, young man," Professor Spine glowered as the pair of hyperactive frat boys exited, Sonic winking at Amy again and blowing a kiss to the room. After they were gone, a painful silence settled in the air. Amy looked up at her scaled teacher, desperation in her face. He simply sighed, exasperated, before gesturing at the sea of desks. "Find a seat, Miss...?"

"Rose," Amy said, hoping her respectful tone was conveyed properly. The lizard nodded, rubbing his temples.

"Miss _Rose_. Also, I'd advise you not to get close to those infuriating young men. It would be a... _negative_ choice for a new student like yourself."

"I appreciate the concern," Amy picked her way over the floor of backpacks, finding a seat in the middle of the room. She smiled pleasantly at the surrounding students, hoping to make friends that were freshmen like her. However, every person she turned to looked away, as though she was tainted somehow. A pair of girls in the row ahead of her turned to each other and whispered mockingly.

"She thinks she's special because an upperclassman called her cute?" One hissed.

"As _if_; she looks totally innocent. Probably doesn't even know they're from SLK." The other giggled behind her hand and they pulled apart. Amy gripped the edge of her desk, a pout stealing over her lips. All she wanted was to have a good first year, but that darned dorm kept interfering! She resolved to be more careful; if rumor spread that she was involved with the hated students, she'd never escape the chains of bad repute.

Once Professor Spine had calmed down, he turned out to be an excellent teacher. His syllabus had funny clip art in it and Amy could tell he _really_ loved his subject. He answered questions no matter how simple-minded they seemed and he wished each student a good day when the bell rang. Amy looked forward to his class.

"Okay," she compared her schedule with the campus map, "Pre-Calculus it is, then. Oh! That's only down the hall!" Her shiny red boots squeaked on the tile floor as she traversed the crowds. Her daydreams of college glory returned, and she was so deep in thought by the time she reached her next room she nearly bumped into a familiar face. Seeing Blaze at the arm of the black hedgehog from SLK, Amy hid around the corner to spy on the crush in action.

"I don't understand a Sol-forsaken symbol of this..." Blaze shoved a packet at the taller hedgehog. She threw her hands in the air, "How I passed Pre-Calc I'll never know!" Amy watched as the hedgehog's merlot eyes flickered over the paper. He pointed at one section, speaking in a soft voice.

"This is the part you're having difficulty with?" Amy wondered how someone could _actually_ be quieter than the purple cat. The feline nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. Her companion pursed his lips and continued, "You multiplied where you should have divided. Also, a double negative equals a positive."

"_Ugh_," Blaze bared her teeth, "I _always_ forget that!" Amy frowned. This was possibly the most boring flirting she'd ever witnessed, not that there had been much to see back home. The black hedgehog smirked and handed the papers back to Blaze before ruffling her hair.

"Pay me back later?" He asked huskily. Amy blushed as the feline shrugged ambivalently. _So... not a crush... Friends... with benefits? _The two upperclassmen sauntered by in silence, Amy pressing herself to the wall so as not to be seen. As she turned the corner and entered the classroom, her thoughts shuffled all the information about SLK the other students had supplied. Sonic didn't seem _too _bad... but for some reason it was a bad thing to be called "cute" by him. Silver appeared to have an authority problem and the black hedgehog ('Shadow'?) used girls in payment for homework help. Amy shuddered, deciding she'd seen enough and would rather not run into any more of the outcast frat.

She was in luck: Pre-Calculus was void of anyone that had crossed her path so far and she even made a friend in a short raccoon who spoke with a clunky, foreign accent. The girl introduced herself as 'Marine'. Memory of Wave yelling about 'gear' in Gamma Nu Omega the previous morning burst into the pink hedgehog's mind and she smiled, snapping her fingers.

"So _you're_ Marine! We live in the same sorority!"

The stubby mechanic grinned, "Is tha' right? Well, I look forward to seein' ya around the house!" The rest of the class passed quickly, with Marine agreeing to help Amy if she needed it with some of the harder problems. The professor was a soft-spoken female owl named Pytha, who used an old-fashioned pointer and smelled of roses. Amy quite liked her. After the syllabus was discussed and the list of required books passed out, the bell rang. Marine waved goodbye in the hall and Amy smiled, her nerves settling down for the first time that day. Her next class was in another building and she began the long trek through Maths and Sciences.

Outside was a welcomed change; a brisk breeze steadily blew across the campus. The fountain trickled merrily and there was a warm chatter of students lounging on the many benches. It smelled of sun. Amy reluctantly entered the History and Language building again, missing the scheduled lunch break of high school. Her Global Studies class sat on the first floor, tucked away in a corner beyond a janitor's closet, which was surprising considering it was one of the largest lecture halls on campus. Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was the musty odor of old books. The second was the only student who had arrived so far: a muscled red echidna idly flipping through archaeology magazines in the first row. Thirdly, a weathered old tortoise who wore a fez stood at the front of the room. He peered at the hedgehog girl with narrow hazel eyes before speaking.

"Hmm... I like pink with red. Have a seat next to Mr. Knuckles, young lady."

Unable to argue considering her own love affair with the color, Amy simply sighed and waddled over to the hulking figure, sinking into her seat with halfhearted caution. The echidna—or rather, Knuckles—didn't show any notice of her. Amy stared ahead, not wanting to bother him lest he have a temper. The elderly tortoise smiled appreciatively, nodding his approval.

"Yes, yes... It's so nice to see such charming young people. Does a body good."

Fifteen minutes ticked by. The tortoise only chewed his gums and nodded occasionally. Knuckles shuffled his magazines and began one again. Amy bounced in her seat. The silence was stifling. When the pink hedgehog couldn't stand it anymore, she risked a question.

"Um... Are there any... _other _students in this class?"

The tortoise snored while standing. Finally, Knuckles closed his magazine and turned to stare down at his company, face unreadable. Amy noticed two large spikes on either of his hands. They looked... _dangerous_.

"This is my third time taking this class," he said. "The first time, there was five of us. The second, just three. Now... Well, here you are. Shell just stands there. Occasionally he lets us take home ancient texts, which I'm sure were uh... _borrowed_ from a museum. Other than that, there's not much to do."

"Well why is it still a class?" Amy asked, irritable.

"Because he's old and tenured," Knuckles shrugged, as if the idea was the simplest thing in the world. Amy pressed fingers to her forehead, sighing.

"So _why _are you still taking this 'class', then?"

"I have to pass it." There was a non-debatable sort of edge to the echidna's voice, and his dark violet eyes shined with determination. Amy cocked her head and looked up at her companion.

"Why do you have to pass _this_ class?" Her question lingered in the air like smoke. Knuckles didn't answer right away—only chewed his lip and stared at his hands. Amy waited. Would she be able to switch this class on such short notice? Could one do that? Knuckles spoke at last, the faintest tinge of pink on his face.

"I'm trying to get into Ancient Society Two... but I didn't pass this class the first time because there wasn't anything to grade. It's like a... a 'glitch in the Matrix', know what I'm saying?"

Amy stood abruptly, "I can't be _stuck in here_! I have a college _life_ to have!" Professor Shell snorted and Amy quickly sat down, eyeing the tortoise in case he woke from his nap. Knuckles blinked vacantly.

"Well I don't know what to tell you... If there's nothing to grade, there's no grade. No grade, no pass. I'm as angry as you are."

"Let's get our classes switched!" Amy pounded a fist into her other hand, not realizing she was getting carried away with a stranger twice her size. "We'll go to the main office tomorrow and change to the other Global Studies class. You'll get to move on to Ancient whatever Two and I'll move on from freshman year!" She thrust a hand in the echidna's face, nearly smacking him in the process, "Whaddya say?"

Knuckles took her hand gingerly, "Um... Okay?"

"It's settled!" Amy sat back, smug. A cricket chirped in a nearby classroom. Amy opened her eyes to look at the red upperclassman, suddenly curious, "Why is it so important to get into Ancient Society Two?"

Knuckles didn't answer, and the bell rang.

* * *

Amy took a deep breath as she stood before the door of her final class, Computers. The Arts and Technology building was expansive, to say the least. To find the tiny classroom, she had passed the noisy theater, a spacious Fine Arts room, and several Design classes. When at last her red boots stood on the tile and her green eyes read "Computers I", she paused to straighten her clothes, shift her backpack and stand up straight. She pushed open the door and marched in.

The room was small, dark, and crowded with long tables covered in black computers. Some of the students had already arrived and were chatting or setting up notebooks and pencils. Amy chose a seat off to the side in the middle row. The day could still be saved if she blended in enough! A dark brown fox came in and sat beside her. He ran fingers through his messy bangs. Amy smiled at him when his chestnut eyes met hers and he offered a friendly smile back before checking his phone. The pink hedgehog suppressed a giggle.

_At least _this_ class is looking up from the start._

The final set of lights dimmed suddenly and Amy looked to the front wall, where the purple chameleon from Sigma Lambda Kappa had flipped the light switch. Dread began to creep across her skin. Had she spoken too soon? Would this frat boy be as disorderly and strange as the others? His flat yellow eyes flicked to her own, causing her fur to stand on end.

"Thank you, Espio," a paced, feminine voice sounded from the large desk at the front-left of the room. "Attention, class... If I could have you all face the front so we can go over the syllabus?" The chatter ceased. The chameleon—who could only be said 'Espio', Amy decided—walked over to the desk and sat in a rolling chair beside it. A powerpoint flared to life on the canvas against the front and the voice spoke again.

"Welcome to Computers One. My name is Sharon Lebelle. You can call me Professor Lebelle. This lovely gentleman is my teacher's assistant, Espio the Chameleon." She paused, allowing the class to chorus "hello" and the chameleon to wave silently. "He will be helping me with grading as well as fixing your computers should one of you mess them up." The class chuckled. "Try not to do that, though. It's time-consuming. Now, let's talk about the curriculum for the quarter."

Professor Lebelle went on to discuss the basics of computing and why it was important to learn such skills. The world was changing, she said. Computers were going become a part of everyday life, no matter what major you went on to take. Amy found herself furiously scribbling notes throughout the entire hour. The bell rang and she gathered her things. After zipping her backpack, she looked around in the hopes of introducing herself to the fox. However, instead of a tall-dark-and-handsome, Espio stood in front of her. She jumped.

"Gah!"

Espio blinked, "You're the new girl at Gamma Nu Omega."

"Um..." Amy gulped, "Yeah... I am. Why?"

The chameleon cocked his head, his face an emotionless mask, "I saw you watching us yesterday morning."

"Oh.." Amy bit her lower lip. _Crap, crap-crap-crap! _"I was curious about the... the car!" She pointed with both index fingers, scrambling for an excuse. "I wanted to know who was driving it."

Espio nodded vaguely, "I see. Well, welcome to Linehardt. If you need any computer help, I'm here until noon classes are over, Tuesday through Saturday." Amy nodded, slowly donning her bag and backing away.

"Thanks, um.. Nice to meet you..."

"Espio," the chameleon offered. "And you are?"

"Amy Rose."

"Cool. See you around, Amy." As soon as his back was turned, Amy bolted for the door. Thank heavens the day was over at last!

* * *

**Misunderstandings and chance meetings abound! *SARCASTIC DRAMATIC GASP DEADPAN* Will Amy survive? (Of course she will.) Who was the mysterious hooded person, and where are they now? (You probably know.) Next time, on _Greek Life..._**

**By the way, will anyone help me come up with a better title? I feel like "Greek Life" may deter some younger readers who are like "Why are the characters in _Greece_"... I was thinking _The Infamous Dorm of Linehardt _or...? Anyway. Thank you again, my dear viewers!  
**


	3. At the End of the Day, It Begins

**So I realized I accidentally called Knux' eyes blue again; I went back and fixed it, in case anyone cares.**

_Lost and Forgotten Memories: Thank you for the input! After some deliberation and my husband offering his advice, I decided to splice my idea with yours to create the new title. We'll see if it gets more views this way. I couldn't find the exact fic you mentioned on devArt, but I did find some gems, hoo boy. Let's just say I never pictured Shadow as the type of guy who flirts chronically and makes out with multiple girls in one day. Geez louise. _

_Re-Harakhty: Yay, you're back! Trust me, this isn't the type of fic I normally read or write either, but I've seen enough (in my desperate attempts to find _something_ to read) that I know it needed a new take. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

3: At the End of the Day, It Begins

Linehardt University Library and student store was almost a parallel dimension in its own right. Located smack in the middle of the History and Language building (making the structure the largest of the three and the words "Main Building" emblazoned across the top of the doors), it was a icon of perfection; what all bookstores aimed to be. With mahogany paneled walls, massive stained-glass pendant lamps, and even a coffee shop next to the cash registers, it was an oasis of zen in a desert of dramatic young adult life. Amy breathed in the smell of coffee, closing her eyes.

"Oh hey!"

She opened her eyes to see Sally and Tikal sitting at a study table, piles of thick books and papers around them. Tikal was waving and grinning broadly. Sally was scrolling through her phone, brows stitched together firmly, with a pen in the other hand. Amy waved back and skipped over, sitting next to Sally and looking across at the sherbet echidna. Tikal leaned forward and took the younger girl's hands in her own.

"_So_ how was your first day? And what's your name anyway?" She pulled one hand away to twirl one of her dreadlocks around a finger.

"Amy Rose," said hedgehog responded, deciding she quite liked Tikal's bubbly personality; it had a reassuring effect which proved to be sorely needed. Tikal nodded and gestured at Sally.

"Pleased to meet you, Amy. As you probably guessed from earlier, that's Sally." The chipmunk raised her eyebrows in unenthusiastic greeting before resuming her frown. The echidna pointed at herself, dancing in her seat, "I'm Tikal, expert in _all _things historical and psychological. If you need help getting around or with homework stuff, Sally and I are usually here until four."

Sally suddenly slammed a fist on the table and growled, "How _dare_ those misogynists say that! Feminism is _not_ about reducing men's rights!" Amy blinked rapidly but Sally went back to focused silence, angrily typing a reply to whatever blog she'd read. Tikal waved a dismissive hand.

"Ignore her; Sally is majoring in Political Science and has 'big plans' for the women's rights movement."

Amy suddenly cocked her head as an idea struck her, "Wait... Tikal, you said you were an expert in history? You wouldn't happen to be taking Ancient Society Two, would you?" Tikal chewed a pen, her bright blue eyes flicking around the library absently.

"What? Oh... yeah, I am." Her face lit up and she leaned forward dramatically, "Amy, are you interested in history?!"

Amy shook her head, "Unfortunately, not really... but I met someone today who said he'd been trying to get into that class. For some reason he can't pass, so he's stuck in Global Studies with me."

"Who's your teacher?"

"Professor Shell."

Tikal's bright face paled, her eyebrow twitching faintly. She leaned back and began shuffling her papers. Amy flailed her hands, trying to backpedal.

"Oh, I don't mean anything by it, I was just wondering if maybe you could help him out!"

Tikal's smile was forced, "Um... No, I don't think I could..." Amy felt awful. Whatever she had said, it had been wrong. She was possibly moments from losing one of the only potential friends she had made in the sorority. Was she making enemies right now? Then, as if it took all the strength in the world, Sally finally breathed out an explanation.

"Tikal took Shell's class a year ago. There was this unbelievably dim-witted echidna in it and he fell head over heels for her. He's been trying to pass but keeps forgetting to turn in a signed attendance slip to the main office, which is the only proof that he took a _lecture-only _class. We'd prefer to keep it that way." She finally leaned forward and—pen in hand—began furiously scribbling the start of an essay. Amy's stomach had gone numb. Poor Knuckles, needlessly stuck in a basic class... And poor Tikal, having to deal with whatever had transpired between the two upperclassmen in the past.

"Well," Amy exhaled morosely, "I guess I'll just have to find a way to pass without letting him know..."

"That's the spirit," Sally deadpanned. Tikal made an apologetic face.

"I'm sorry, Amy... I just _really_ don't want to run into him again."

Amy smiled, "It's totally fine; I understand. But... I think I should go get my text books before all the good copies are gone." The two older girls nodded, waving her off, and Amy stalked up to the cash register. An orange weasel with a badge that read "Student Volunteer" greeted her.

"What can I help you with?" She said brightly. Amy handed her a list of all the books she'd be needing. The weasel's bright green eyes scanned the list. She picked up two clipboards, each with a different set of paperwork. "Would you like to rent these or do Linehardt's Roll-over Student Discount?"

Amy rubbed her chin at the unexpected options, "Uh, what's the second one?" The weasel put down one clipboard and handed it to the pink hedgehog.

"The Roll-over is what most people choose here. At the beginning of a semester, you pay full price. If you return the books in perfect condition, you get a fraction of the price back and a credit towards your next semester, should you return. If you rent, however, you _must_ return the books in perfect condition—or pay a fine equal to the cost—and you do not get a roll-over credit for your next set." The weasel inhaled loudly at the end, having spouted the entire summary in one breath. Amy bit her lip.

"I think... I think I'll do the student discount?"

"Total cost comes to five hundred dollars."

"Five _hundred_?!" Amy shrieked. A nearby librarian glared at her. The pink hedgehog sighed, crestfallen, and handed the weasel her student ID.

* * *

Amy trudged back to the dorms, arms laden with rented books. The crowds of noon-class students passed around her like water around a rock. Some lingering day students were going home for lunch, but most had gone out to the city to shop and eat. Amy wondered if Rouge might show her around, if the bat wasn't sleeping still. Suddenly, the doors to one of the frat houses Amy was passing opened and a green hedgehog wearing sunglasses came out. An unpleasant, rank smell mixed with the lilt of Top 40 music poured out of the doors. The hedgehog noticed Amy and grinned, lowering his sunglasses to reveal icy blue eyes.

"Hey, babe. Wanna come hang at a real frat?"

Amy wrinkled her nose, "With _that_ reek? No way."

"You won't get any finer company at Linehardt," he called after her as she walked away a little faster than necessary. When she didn't acknowledge him any further, he shrugged and passed back into the house, forgetting what he had gone outside for in the first place.

Amy wrinkled her nose again as she entered GNO, grimacing from the wretched stink. As she headed up the stairs, loud voices seeped out of the room to the left.

"I don't _care_ what you needed it for, I bought it with _my _money and you need to replace it!"

"Wave, aren't we both mechanics? Don' we need ta stick tagetha?"

"I'm in a completely different field from you! Just replace my speed attachment by tomorrow."

"Eh... I spent... all my money...?"

Amy suppressed a chuckle at the death-gurgle she assumed was Wave as she passed the bedroom. She was beginning to understand what Rouge meant about "high-strung" and the image of stately Wave and stumpy Marine arguing was... entertaining, to say the least. At last, Amy reached her own room and kicked open the door. Rouge was sitting at her desk, brushing her fingers through wet hair. The white bat looked up at the noise and smiled.

"Welcome back. How'd it go?"

Amy set the stack of books on her own desk as gently as she could. The _thud_ echoed in the small room nonetheless. She slumped into the chair and fell forward on the table, resting her forehead on her arms.

"Tiring, if anything. My first class started with this really scary girl... Then I ran into Triple S... or... two of them, or something." Amy sat up, looking at her friend with puppy eyes. Rouge rifled through her makeup bag, smiling in that strange way she had. It always looked like she knew something you didn't. Not in bad way, just unnerving sometimes. The bat pulled out a pink lipstick and mirror and began the long process of making herself up.

"So you heard about the _terrible trio_, eh? They're the worst of SLK. The echidna is actually kinda cute, all brawny and all." She put the lipstick down and reached for an eye primer. Amy placed her hands under her chin and watched the older girl work, sighing.

"I just wanted to make a good first impression, but it was like... everywhere I went,_ they _were there. My science class hates me because Sonic called me 'cutie'... That echidna was in my history class," Amy paused when Rouge raised her eyebrows before continuing, "but he's a total dunce." Rouge pouted. Amy twiddled her fingers, "There was this _really_ hot fox in my computer class, but Espio scared him away before I could get his name."

"It'll sort itself out," Rouge offered, packing peacock-blue powder onto her eyelids. "Just try to survive the first week and then you'll be in the clear. SLK will fade into the background and everyone will think you're just another new kid."

"Thanks," Amy muttered sarcastically. Rouge finished her look with mascara and zipped her makeup bag shut. She smiled at Amy, raising perfectly-shaped brows.

"Hey... you hungry?"

As if on cue, the pink hedgehog's stomach growled.

* * *

Past the high stone walls and the embellished iron gate of Linehardt, Station Square bustled and changed on a daily basis. The college was but a microcosm in a much larger world. The city rose and dipped and rose again—skyscrapers to residential streets and back. The buildings were tall, the streets noisy, and the sidewalks crowded. The city's namesake train depot, SS Central Station, was a hive of business folk and average people-needing-to-get-places. Yet, somehow, there was a magnetic draw to the lifestyle that pulled people from as far as Mystic Ruins. Rouge's high heels clicked on the pavement as Amy followed close behind, trying not to gawk at the magnificent scenery too much.

"Rouge!"

"Amy, for the billionth time, it's just another dime-a-dozen sky scraper. C'mon, the restaurant is right around the corner."

True to the bat's word, it was. Lenny's was a quaint sort of diner, seemingly out of place in the sophisticated world that surrounded it. The roof was copper; the walls old, dirty stucco; and the signage dated. Still, it was the only restaurant open twenty-four-seven that served both breakfast _and_ dinner. Not to mention it had a karaoke bar in the back. Amy eyed the structure warily.

"Are you... sure... this is good?" She shifted away from a homeless-looking rat who was sleeping against one of the walls. Rouge turned and grabbed the hedgehog's hand, pulling her inside the swing door. The heavenly scent of pancakes combined with a bizarrely-pleasing mix of steak and hot fudge assaulted Amy's nose. She looked around the simple place, the smell of breakfast breads raising her spirits. A skinny coyote led the pair of college students into one of the dining areas, seating them at a window booth. The coyote's bushy tail swayed when she put the menus down and she walked away to get two glasses of water. Hope renewed, Amy opened her menu with a determined _snap_.

"This place looks like Hell," Rouge said quietly, "but wait till you try their french toast."

"I can't decide _what_ I want," Amy's green eyes flicked over the many pages. "There are too many options!"

At that moment, the rumble of an idling car seemed to shake the entire diner. Amy looked out the large glass window to the right—and immediately cowered behind her menu, sinking down into the booth so as not to be seen. Rouge put down her own menu and frowned.

"Amy. _What _are you doing?"

"It's t-them! They're here!" Amy exclaimed, pointing out the window with a shaking hand. Sure enough, the little blue car with a big attitude had pulled in, parking against the curb outside. The roar ceased and Silver got out of the driver's side this time, with Sonic crawling out from the middle and Shadow casually standing up from the passenger's seat. Triple S made their way up the sidewalk and around the corner. Rouge's blue eyes followed their path along with Amy's trembling finger. The bell on the front door jingled and the trio of frat boys walked in.

"They're eating here!"

"Well, yeah, hon, that's what people do here. Why are you so afraid?" Rouge flipped open her menu again, uninterested in the latest surrounding developments. Amy, her eyes trained on the cash register as Shadow spoke to the hostess with his two friends scuffling around behind, launched upwards in her seat. Her eyes flared.

"Are you _kidding_ me? Ever since I got to school you said 'stay away from SLK', 'trust me, those guys are a bad bunch', 'better not go near _those _losers'. Now you're saying it doesn't matter that I ran into them _all day_ and the entire freshman year is going to think I'm having _lunch_ with them?"

"Amy, calm down. You're frothing at the mouth."

"_Ugh!_" The pink hedgehog hissed at her friend's fickle behavior. The sound of another car door slamming made the pair of girls look outside once more. The waitress led Triple S into another dining area before coming back to place water glasses on Rouge and Amy's table. Oddly enough, Blaze, Knuckles and Espio were getting out of the blue car. Amy's frustration dissipated at the sight of the lavender cat.

"Poor girl, getting used by her crush like that," she remarked sympathetically. Rouge nearly spat a mouthful of water out. She swallowed and wiped her mouth, chuckling.

"I'm sorry... _What_ did you say about Blaze?"

Amy rested her face on a fist, watching the next trio meander up the sidewalk, "She likes Shadow, but he's just using her, making her pay for homework help with her body."

"You've been reading too many high school fics on that website you like," Rouge muttered, skimming over her menu for the umpteenth time. Amy frowned and glared at her friend.

"I haven't been on that site since I was sixteen! I'm telling the truth! I heard them in the hallway... _Why _are you smiling like that?"

Rouge snickered, "You'll find out soon enough, I think."

The waitress returned and took their orders. Amy's poor, tender mind burned with curiosity, trying to figure out the white bat's cryptic statement. She was so deep in thought, she almost forgot to notice how delicious her french toast was.

* * *

Amy Rose lay in her bed, splayed out like a child. Rouge was gone for night classes and the silence of the small bedroom led to too much introspection. Not to mention, a frat up the street was throwing a loud party, forcing Amy to keep the windows closed. Although, considering the cringe-worthy memory filling her mind like a tasteless B-movie, ear-shattering dubstep might have been a better alternative. She groaned in embarrassment, rolling over in her blankets and burrowing beneath her faded pink pillow. At least she had changed the bedding to her own, the optimistic part of her mind offered.

_I was so stupid earlier..._

After a relatively pleasant meal at Lenny's, Rouge had gone to the front to pay and Amy had tried to sneak out past the boisterous table of SLK and their feline guest. Unfortunately, just as she passed their dining area, Sonic and Silver had gotten up to play the claw machine by the front door. They nearly knocked a tip-toeing pink hedgehog over in the process.

"Oh, sorry there, cutie freshman," Sonic chuckled warmly. Silver nodded. Amy looked between them, exasperation slowly building up in her chest.

"Um... My name is 'Amy', not 'cutie'..."

"It's a habit of his," Silver shrugged. He extended a hand in greeting. Amy took it gingerly, noticing for the first time the albino was wearing strange gloves, each with a bluish circle in the center. He smiled brightly while he shook her hand, "My name's Silver. Pleased to meet you, Amy. Sorry about disrupting your little class earlier."

"It's... fine..."

Sonic slapped Silver's lingering hand away from Amy's, "Hey, man, cool the forward. I met her first."

Silver grimaced and rolled his eyes, "Whatever! She can like who she likes." Sonic pursed his lips before giving Amy a conspiring look. He waggled his eyebrows.

"Well, I think this _cutie_ has good taste. Whaddya say, Ames? Blue or white?"

Amy, who had been growing more irate by the second, finally burst, "NEITHER!" The restaurant went silent. Somewhere at the back of her mind Amy heard Rouge utter her name chidingly, but the only thing she could see was a red filter over these obnoxious boys who seemed to be trying to ruin her life.

"Neither!" She hissed again, "I've run into you people all day! Is it your _goal_ to alienate me from the rest of the school?!"

The two boys looked confused, as if they couldn't quite grasp what she was saying.

Amy continued, "All I want is to blend in and have a good first year! In order to do that, I can't be seen as your friend or acquaintance. So why don't you just STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Sonic's face turned sullen, his lower lip pushing out in a pout. Silver just winced and shrank away, his visage wounded. Amy finally noticed the restaurant's stares and Rouge's mortified expression. Realizing that she had just humiliated two upperclassmen _and_ herself, she ran from the building... all the way back to Gamma Nu Omega.

_Ugh... They didn't do anything wrong_, Amy thought as the memory faded again, _I was just too wound up... and too scared._ She bashed her head on the mattress a few times, wishing the ground could have opened and swallowed her up before she made a fool of herself. Now she'd have to face Wednesday morning with the bitter taste of shame in her mouth—and a sea of angry students. Even if SLK was a misfit fraternity, they still were there before her. Would the whole school hate her now? How many other Linehardt students had been eating lunch at that moment? Amy worried herself to sleep, dreading whatever punishment she'd receive in the morning.

However, when she woke too early and sat in Advanced Literature—when she made her way through the day and even sat right next to _Knuckles_—there wasn't any. No one looked at her any different. Blaze nearly ignored her, only making sarcastic comments about the introductory homework. There was no sign of Sonic and Silver in Physics, nor of Blaze and Shadow before math. Knuckles only read his magazines while Professor Shell rambled about what was going on with the antrho-human communications in the far East, and Espio followed Professor Lebelle's instructions like a carefully trained servant, only pausing to glance at Amy with a flat expression before telling the attractive fox how to open the Start menu.

The week passed in the same perfectly-quiet manner and the guilt had gnawed Amy's innards to dust. The freshman felt as if she would explode if she didn't _do _something. Sunday morning arrived. Rouge was dead asleep after a wild Saturday night at a club in the downtown area. Sally and Tikal were nowhere to be found and most of the sorority members were out enjoying their weekend or sleeping in. Even Marine and Wave's shared room was quiet. There was no voice of reason or someone to tell her not to go.

So Amy Rose walked across-the-street-and-to-the-right. She marched past the little blue car, up the stone stairs and beside the messed-up landscaping. She marched right up to the red, double front doors—and Amy Rose knocked.

* * *

**So as we see the wild Amy in her natural habitat, there's a fine line between love and hate, and the members of SLK are infiltrating her mind to the max. How will her frat-affair turn out? **


	4. The Infamous Residents Are?

**Okay, so sorry if my updates slow a little bit. I'm really trying to plan this one in advance and cool the chapters for a day so I can edit out mistakes easier. **

_Nab-Nab450: Sorry that was confusing. Basically, Amy is really into romance (much like her canon self) and she doesn't spend a lot of time analyzing things before she just decides something. From her first conversation with Blaze, she applied typical 'girl' thinking because it makes sense, and then when she 'realized' Shadow was using Blaze, it's just an extension of that thought. It's a bit naive, but that's how I picture Amy in my mind: rash, romantic, and wired._

_Lost and Forgotten Memories: It makes me so happy to hear you getting excited! I'm not sure if it's accurate, but I always picture you as really calm and collected, so hearing you feel anticipation makes me feel like I'm doing the right thing! What are they really like? Well... hehehe, we'll find out._

_adar13: Hello new reviewer and welcome! Since I've never seen you review my work before, I'll thank you for taking time to click on one of my stories. I hope you enjoy!_

_Re-Harakhty: That's a wonderful compliment, thank you my dear! _

_blaze the lol cat: Wow, that's excellent news. I try to work really hard to keep my grammar and spelling up to snuff, good to see it's paying off. And yep, _On Mobius_ was me. I'm glad you liked it, as it's my most popular story so far. Thank you for reviewing!_

_DahserMan1025: Glad to hear, I was afraid I'd lost your interest. Hope you enjoy!_

**So, don't feel too jarred. That's all. Have a lovely day!**

* * *

4: The Infamous Residents Are...?

No one answered.

In fact, the doors seemed so thick and ancient that Amy's knock was completely absorbed, leaving behind a disquieting, vacant feeling. Amy frowned and studied the surrounding area for any sign of a doorbell. There! A single black button in a circular gold box against the wall. She pressed it firmly. A loud, low gong-like noised rattled the front windows, causing the pink hedgehog to question her motive. What was she doing here again? _This place gives me the creeps!_

She remembered: she was coming to apologize for freaking out at them in a public place. Amy scrunched up her face in misery, knotting a fistful of quills in her hand. Why was she so quick to act? She never thought anything through... Green eyes reappraised the mansion. Why was no one answering? Their blue car was here... and it _was _Sunday. And that gong certainly couldn't be missed. Her red boot squeaked as Amy tapped her foot impatiently.

_Well maybe I _won't _apologize, if they're not going to answer!_

Huffing through her nose, the freshman turned to leave. As she moved to take the first step down at the stairs, a brisk gust of wind nearly knocked her sideways. She cried out—her small voice carried away on the zephyr—and flailed her arms in a windmilling motion to steady herself. The wind smelled of fate again; Amy looked back at the mansion's door, her face fixed in a determined frown. Straightening her red shirt over the waistband of her jeans, the pink hedgehog marched back to the door and gave the handle a try.

It opened.

The only sound trailing through the cavernous front hall was some sort of rock music station. Amy narrowed her eyes... Pantera? Was that the name? Throwing caution to the fate-smelling wind, she entered the house and shut the door behind her. The layout was constructed a little differently than Gamma Nu Omega, with the stairs facing in towards the house and disappearing upwards over the entryway. The hall ran to the back—ending in a gargantuan kitchen—with smaller paths branching off to the side. Amy listened closely. There were voices coming from the last room on the right: the largest doorway. Ignoring the nagging feeling in her stomach telling her to turn and run, she kept walking until she turned the corner—and was met with a deafening uproar of shouts. Her eyes went wide as Espio was suddenly launched across her vision, sending him crashing into a gigantic, retro television. He bounced off it and fell to the floor. The pink hedgehog noticed there was a circular crack on one quarter of the screen (as well as strange holes in the wall behind), which displayed an old fighting game.

Without moving, Espio groaned quietly, "_This _is why I spend so much time in my room, guys." Peeling her attention away from the boy on the floor, Amy turned to take in the rest of the room. Sonic and Shadow sat side-by-side on a saggy, green couch, each leaning this way and that with their tongues out, frantically tapping at their chunky controllers. Knuckles stood at the back of the room, arm just returning to his side from having thrown the chameleon. He growled at Silver, who was sitting on the floor by Sonic's feet.

"Silver! Stop using your tele-whatever to cheat me out of money!"

Silver frowned, "It's _telekinesis_, and that's not how it works, bro. You're just betting wrong." Knuckles roared incoherently before turning to the sweat-shirted person perching on the couch arm next to Shadow. He yanked their hood down, revealing a half-lidded Blaze. Amy gaped, still unnoticed in the opening of the room. The hooded member was Blaze? A girl living in a boy's dorm!

Knuckles hissed, "It must be you, then! Shadow _always _wins Street Fighter tourneys when I bet against him!"

"Hey!" Sonic snapped, green eyes still focused on the cracked screen, "It's not _my _fault I always lose rock-paper-scissors for the crap side!" Having been wrenched from the comfort of her hood, Blaze's eyes flared open and she turned to glare at Knuckles. For a moment, Amy thought she saw flames in the cat's eyes. Blaze back-handed the echidna upside the head.

"You idiot! Everyone knows Sonic always loses _everything _except his track races_._ It's your fault for betting on him after five _years_!" She turned back to watch Shadow pull off a particularly complex grab. Her mouth twisted into a smile, much more devious than the polite expressions she'd shown Amy in Advanced Literature. The feline crossed her arms over her chest, "One more grab like that and he's down." Shadow grunted in response. After the noisy display, Espio looked up from where he still sprawled on the floor. He noticed the intruder in the doorway and casually lifted his fingers in greeting.

"Oh. Hey, Amy." The game was paused and five pairs of eyes joined Espio's in staring at the additional company. Amy jolted, looking around the large room, fear in her eyes. Her fingers toyed with the hem of her cardigan and beads of sweat formed on her hairline. After a crushing silence, Sonic smiled brightly.

"Ames! How ya doin'?"

The pink hedgehog spluttered. Silver snickered behind a hand. Shadow quietly appraised her while Blaze simply gave devil fingers. Knuckles waved. When Amy failed to respond, Sonic raised an eyebrow.

"You okay, there, Amy...?"

The freshman's face was a contorted mess of emotions. Guilt, embarrassment, surprise... Why were they saying "hello" to her like nothing had happened? Weren't they going to yell at her and tell her to get out?

"Aren't you mad at me?" She blurted. The group turned to one another, offering shrugs and curious looks. Finally, they turned back to their underclassman and smiled. (Well, most of them. Shadow just looked complacent.) Silver rubbed the back of his head.

"About the Lenny's incident? Not really," his gaze turned soft. "We all know what it's like to be a freshman. Everything can be really scary when you're new. Plus," a goofy grin formed on his lips, "we're really too old to care if people like us or not." The others nodded. Amy felt her lower lip begin to tremble.

"But... I was so rude..." How could they possibly forgive her?

Shadow barked a grim laugh, "If you think what _you_ said was rude, you clearly haven't heard what other people say to us. Now stop being so... weepy? Distressed? Blaze, help me out."

The feline heaved a sigh, "Dysphoric?" Shadow nodded.

"That's the one."

Amy pressed a hand to her cheek, finally gathering her composure, "I'm really sorry... Everyone I met said you all were troublemakers... and I assumed the worst."

Sonic grinned suddenly, "Well, you know what they say about _assuming_, right?" Shadow and Blaze both grumbled.

Espio squeezed his eyes shut, "Not this again."

Sonic and Silver jumped into the air, flailing their arms as they shouted in unison, "IT MAKES AN 'ASS' OUT OF 'U' AND 'ME'!" Knuckles laughed boisterously while Shadow rolled his eyes. The warm atmosphere began to creep into Amy's chest, dispelling her inhibitions towards the frat. As the boys all fell into noisy chatter, Blaze slipped away from the couch arm, gesturing at Amy to follow her. They left the room and entered the kitchen, which was remodeled to have a counter running down the center with stools on either side. Blaze waved a hand at the stools and approached a very large fridge on the other side. Amy sat down, questions tearing through her mind like cars on an interstate. Blaze's tail swished back and forth.

"Care for anything to drink? Looks like we have..." the lavender cat wrinkled her nose, "an alarming surplus of Mountain Dew."

"Um... water is fine," Amy said. Blaze closed the fridge and moved to rifle through a cabinet. She pulled down two glasses and began to fill them from the fridge's dispenser. Amy chewed a thumb, trying not to explode. After an eternity, Blaze turned around and slid one of the glasses across the marble counter before drinking from her own. Amy rolled the glass between her hands before lifting her eyes to the enigma standing before her.

"Um... Blaze?"

Blaze swallowed and gazed at the hedgehog evenly, "Yeah?"

"You... live here?" Amy slapped herself inwardly. Way to be awkward. However, Blaze only shrugged, her cold eyes warming up just a bit.

"I do. Don't beat yourself up for being curious, either. I used to get asked that a lot."

Amy's face reddened slightly, "I... I think I misunderstood you."

The feline leaned on the counter, her face emotionless, "How so?" Before Amy could respond, Sonic whined from the living room.

"Blaaaazyyyyy, bring me a soda!"

The lavender cat rolled her eyes,"Excuse me one moment." Blaze opened the fridge and took out one of the many cans of Mountain Dew. Amy watched as she sauntered over to the doorway of the den and—leaning back for one defining moment, soda can nestled in her hand like ammunition in a catapult—pegged Sonic right in the face. His head snapped backward from the force, the soda rebounding off his face to land in his lap. Shadow and Silver jumped up and high-fived as a deep voice erupted from the TV.

"Player Two wins."

Shadow cracked his fingers smugly while Silver made a strange finger-rubbing gesture at Knuckles. The burly echidna groaned, reached into his shoe, and handed the albino a roll of bills. Silver smiled devilishly and tucked the money into his jacket pocket.

"Pleasure doing business with ya, Knux."

Sonic finally lifted his head again, holding one side of his face, "What happened... Did I lose?" He looked at the soda in his lap and the flashing screen displaying the word "WINNER". He looked back to the door, "Blaze!" The feline chuckled darkly, turning to go back into the kitchen. A chorus of disgusted yells followed her—Sonic had opened the shaken can.

"Where were we?" Blaze sat on a stool across from Amy, who was still attempting to process the strange sequence of events. She sipped her water stiffly, eyebrows knit together in confusion. Blaze waited patiently, resting her chin on one hand and smiling politely. Amy finally finished her water and set the glass down. She inhaled and exhaled before making stable eye contact with the feline.

"Um... I thought you had a crush on Shadow..."

There was a snort from the kitchen entry; Amy turned on the stool to see Espio, straightening his sweater. He walked into the kitchen, snagged an apple from a glass bowl, and bit into it. Amy raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a weird thought to have...?" She asked in a tentative voice. Blaze and Espio exchanged glances. Espio swallowed.

"No," the chameleon licked his lips, "It's just surprising that you said that to her face." He took another bite and Amy turned back to the lavender feline, a lump of worry in her throat. She was just saying the wrong things left and right! However, Blaze seemed unperturbed and simply refilled her water glass before speaking.

"A lot of people think that, but I stopped beating them up a long time ago."

Espio spoke through a mouthful of fruit, "Blaze and Shadow are just weird. They have this strange, platonic _thing_ going on, but if anyone tries to ask Blaze out, Shadow..." He trailed off as Blaze's gold eyes turned hard. Blinking slowly, the cat turned back to Amy.

"We're just friends."

Amy nodded vaguely before realizing Espio had vanished. She blinked, pointing to where he had been standing, "Um...?"

"He's a ninja," Blaze said simply.

Sonic and the others came trooping in, filling the air with white noise as they chatted. He slung an arm over Amy's shoulders. The pink hedgehog felt her heart fall into her stomach and she tried not to blurt out something embarrassing. Sonic took a swig from his near-empty soda can.

"So... Howsabouts we blow this popsicle stand for the day?"

Blaze groaned, rubbing her temples, "_When _will you learn that the slang you use is not at all 'cool'?" Sonic blew a raspberry at her and looked Amy in the eye.

"Well, Ames? Wanna get acquainted with Chaos Control?"

Amy nearly bit off her tongue in her hurried response, "What's Chaos Control?"

Shadow leaned on the counter next to Blaze, a hint of smirk on his languid face, "It's the car." Silver came around the other side of the Amy, smiling wide and toying with his gloves.

"It may be small, but it gets us places! And you can sit by _me_!" He smiled before Sonic pulled away from Amy to flick the telekinetic's ear.

"She'll sit wherever she wants, pot-head."

Knuckles burst out of the pantry, jingling a key-ring from his fingers. He smiled broadly, "My turn to drive?"

* * *

Amy had never felt so claustrophobic in her life. Her knees were pressed under her chin and her elbows were buried in the sides of her companions. Blaze had opted to take one side to protect the younger hedgehog from Sonic, and Espio had taken the other, arguing that he was the only other person who shared a class with her and therefore knew her better. Shadow had demanded to ride shotgun, but due to Blaze sitting in the back instead of with him, had been forced to retain Sonic on his lap. Where the center console had been long before the car was purchased by this strange group of people, there was an empty space—a space which occupied Silver, who for some reason kept accidentally bumping into Amy's knees with the back of his head. She was glad she had worn pants today.

"I can't believe you're only _twenty_!" Sonic gasped for the third time in ten minutes. As Knuckles hit the brakes for a red light, Shadow's grasp on the blue hedgehog "slipped", allowing the loudmouth to crack his head on the windshield.

"Sorry." Shadow did not sound genuine, and Sonic cast him a wary glance while rubbing his bruised head. Amy sighed.

"I guess I should have said something before you guys offered to take me out for a welcome party..." As the car sped forward once more, Silver bumped his head off Amy's knees. He looked up at her with innocent yellow eyes.

"I think it's good that you're twenty, Amy. It means I'm not the baby anymore!"

"How old are you?" Amy growled, attempting to stuff her irritation at the unwanted physical contact. The albino hedgehog smiled.

"I just turned twenty one in December!"

Blaze, who was staring out the window absently, muttered from behind a hand, "It was an _unfortunate_ event." Amy wasn't sure if she wanted to ask or not. Shadow solved her problem by speaking himself.

"I still say we just buy stuff from that one gas station."

"That would be encouraging underage drinking," Espio murmured. Shadow frowned.

"So?"

Sonic shook his head, "You're hopeless, Shads."

"What'd you say, Faker? I feel like I'm losing my grip again." Shadow's gaze slid to the echidna at the steering wheel, "Any red lights on the horizon?"

Sonic gripped the handle above the window, "Fine, fine. Forget I said anything."

Knuckles glanced in the rear-view mirror, "We'll just find something Amy can do _with_ us." He put the blinker on and suddenly Blaze sat up very straight, her tail fluffing up.

"No. No-no-no..." She leaned forward to grip the driver's seat. "Knuckles, I know what you're thinking. It's one of the dumbest ideas you've had in a long time..." At the sound of Blaze's distress, Shadow ceased his torment of Sonic and looked out the windshield. Amy tried to angle her head so she could see out the front. Silver's over-sized quills blocked her line of sight, however, and she slumped back into position, disappointed. Shadow's face became drawn and he glared at Knuckles.

"In what way is this a good idea?"

Knuckles' expression grew concerned, "I like it here... I think Amy would too." Said pink hedgehog yelped in frustration.

"Where are we?!"

The car stopped in a parking spot and Knuckles gestured out the right-side window, "See for yourself."Amy leaned over Espio and looked out. Her mouth fell open in awe. They were parked in front of a massive neon sign, emblazoned with the words "Twinkle Park". A ticket window poked out in front of intricately-carved gates ten feet away. Past the brick wall that towered overhead, the tops of a Ferris wheel and a curling roller-coaster could be seen. Espio awkwardly pushed Amy back into her spot, away from his lap.

Blaze frowned, "If you think I'm going to spend all of my money on a crowded, noisy _child's _ park, you are wrong."

"It's not just a child's park, Blaze," Sonic offered, pointing to a small sign below the ticket window. "It says 'Cute couples get in free'!"

"_Child_ couples," Blaze spat. Shadow opened the car door and dumped his blue irritant onto the pavement.

"I say we vote," the black hedgehog muttered. "All in favor of this idiotic attempt at entertainment, say 'aye'." Knuckles, Sonic, Silver, and Espio chorused 'aye'. Amy bounced up and down in her seat.

"Yes! Yes, I want to go!"

Sonic smiled haughtily, jabbing Shadow in the arm, "See? _Ames_ wants to go. You gonna deny a face like that?" He gestured back at her. Shadow turned around to study Amy's face. Unfortunately, she had blushed due to the use of Sonic's nickname and the way the blue hedgehog's smile curled up ever-so-perfectly. Seeing her dreamy expression, Shadow shrugged.

"Yeah, I could deny a face like that."

"Well, too bad!" Knuckles suddenly kicked open the door and got out, pulling the seat forward so the back-seaters could crawl out. He offered a hand to Blaze, who hissed quietly but took it. Silver followed Shadow out the passenger's side and Amy clambered out behind Blaze. Finally, Espio emerged to join the rest, stretching and yawning into the warm spring day. Knuckles turned to slap Silver on the back.

"Since I lost my money to you this morning," the red echidna stated firmly, "it would be very _generous _of you to pay for the entry." His violet eyes narrowed and the not-so-subtle crack of his namesakes insinuated that Silver would be paying whether he wanted to or not. The albino sighed.

"Somehow I never get to keep the money I win..." he dragged his feet to the ticket booth, where a disparaging-faced mouse began to print entrance passes. After poking and prodding at Shadow in an attempt to get a rise out of him and receiving a punch to the stomach, Sonic painfully shuffled over to Amy and draped an arm over her shoulders. She hunched under the weight, distracted by a faint smell of shampoo lingering around the older boy's quills. He smiled at her and winked one of his beryl-colored eyes.

"Start thinking about what rides you want to go on. Hope you like 'em fast."

_Oh yes_, Amy found her heart murmuring, _I like them fast. _A small voice at the back of her mind pointed out that the phrase was heavy with allusion, but Amy only smiled. As she passed through the gates of Twinkle Park, her stomach seemed to rise and fall like ocean waves. Sonic kept his arm over her, and the pink hedgehog wondered if it really was so dangerous to harbor a little crush so soon.

* * *

**Yes, I know I said this wouldn't be a romance. It won't, I promise. But there will be a hint of natural emotion, as it wouldn't seem right to leave out _those_ types of feelings. Just, this time, I won't be focusing on the romance, but rather the surroundings of it. Um... well, you'll see. It'll be good.**


	5. Twinkle Park Take-over

**I'm so very sorry for the delay everyone! I came down with mild writer's block for a couple of days and when I came back, my computer broke. It's been in the shop but now it's back and I gushed out a chapter like never before! (Except for _On Mobius_, but that was an accident.)**

_Blaze the lolcat: Yeah I figured she'd stick to the little ground attractions like mini trains and such. And the can part was my favorite of that chapter :)_

_adar13: Well, it's not that there won't be tidbits of pairings or love, it's just not a romance as in that's not the focus. I mainly just want to write a good friendship story. Hope you enjoy!_

_Lost and Forgotten Memories: I'm so happy to hear you were laughing! I jumped up and squeed haha I hope I didn't offend by the "calm and collected" comment D: Sorry if I did; you're my best reviewer and I'd hate to be bothersome._

_Re-Harakhty: Yay I'm glad you like! This is so hard to write since I don't do "school" fics, so it's wonderful to hear it's pleasing!_

_DahserMan1025: You never cease to make me smile :) Thank you for your reviews!_

* * *

5: Twinkle Park Takeover and the Talkative Table

"This is so totally fun!" Amy shrieked with glee. The speed of the roller-coaster ripped the words from her mouth and she gave up, simply beaming at Sonic next to her. The blue hedgehog had dragged her to the coaster first thing, getting their passes stamped and seats secured before she could even blink. Blaze had prowled away into the shadows of the bumper car arena, followed by her red-striped, ebony companion. The rest had piled onto the coaster cars with excitement, Silver resisting the urge to pull the starting lever with telekinesis before it was fully loaded.

Just as Amy was starting to second-guess her brewing attraction to the older boy beside her, they were off into another curve! "Roaring Spiral" was less rickety than some of the rides at the fair that had passed through Green Hill when she was younger, and Amy hadn't been expecting to be launched into the fastest ride immediately. Now, her quills flipped around haphazardly. Sonic whooped with joy once more and when they reached the highest loop, Amy spread her arms as if she could fly. The sun warmed her face.

She almost forgot Sigma Lambda Kappa was footing her bill.

They had insisted on it at the gate. They were older, more experienced. It only made sense. Amy had felt incredibly guilty and begged to pay for at least some of her ticket, but Sonic had brushed her off as he helped her into the first car on the ride.

"It's a welcome party! Just enjoy it!"

So she did. As the cart sped down the shiny rails at rocketing speeds, Amy let every care in the world blow away on the breeze. Knuckles' noisy-but-endearing laughter joined the cries of exhilaration emitted by the passengers and when they reached the end, the group of young adults could only giggle as they crawled away from the towering coaster. Amy attempted to brush out her quills as she scanned the crowds for Blaze and Shadow.

"Don't you think we should find the others?"

Sonic laced his fingers behind his head, smiling lazily, "Maybe. What do you think, Espio?" The chameleon held onto the metal divider that spaced out the lines. His eyes seemed to go in and out of focus as his dizzy spell faded. When he had collected himself, he shrugged.

"If you want to endure Blaze's wrath... I can sense her from here."

Knuckles lifted the purple computer-geek under his arm like a football and gestured towards the bumper cars before marching away. The three hedgehogs followed.

Amy picked at a loose thread on her sleeve, "Um... Why would Blaze be angry that we're going to find her?" Sonic only smiled. Silver rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well... Blaze has a bit of secret... and she's _really_ shy about it. When she lets loose though, it comes out like Mr. Hyde."

The roar of a cheering crowd suddenly echoed through the park and the group quickened their steps. Blaze's voice could be heard, much more distinct than she normally spoke.

"FEAR ME! FEAR ME!"

The boys chuckled quietly while Amy began to bite her nails. They arrived at the shady bumper car enclosure, where a flaming _something_ smashed into the other cars indiscriminately. Children ran from their vehicles, terror on their tiny faces. Amy noticed Shadow standing limply at the sidelines, his normally aloof expression replaced with one of helplessness. As Knuckles walked up with Espio underarm, the black hedgehog turned stiffly.

"I tried to tell her..." He said in a fractured voice, as if he had been wandering through an ancient battlefield for far too long. Sonic appraised the situation, rubbing his chin. Amy tugged on Silver's sleeve.

"What's going on?" She whispered. The albino made a strange sort of face, somewhere between embarrassment and amusement. He bit his lip.

"Blaze is... a very... _competitive_ person."

Amy looked back at the arena, wondering what a burning kart had to do with the aloof feline. Then, as she looked closer, the pink hedgehog began to make out the silhouette of a familiar upperclassman, cackling maniacally and shooting flames from her limbs. Amy's knees trembled, threatening to give out.

"How... how..." her small voice trailed off. After Knuckles set the chameleon on his feet, Espio pressed a hand to his forehead, sighing.

"Perhaps this _was_ a bad idea." He looked at Amy sidelong, "Blaze is a pyrokinetic."

Amy nearly fainted before Knuckles placed a massive hand across her mid back. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and looked between Sonic and Silver blankly. She pressed her hands to either side of her head.

"How is it possible? Telekinesis _and_ pyrokinesis? This isn't real!"

Silver shrugged, a sheepish smile pulling up one corner of his mouth, "Blaze and I aren't from around here, so to speak."

Amy frowned, "I'm from Green Hill. You don't see _me_ having superpowers, do you?"Silver made a funny face—like he knew something but wouldn't say it. Sonic rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well... I dunno... You seem to be pretty compassionate for hanging out with the Linehardt losers." Something in his green eyes made Amy feel small and unsure of herself for a moment. The moment passed and the blue hedgehog's cocky grin was back as he turned to cheer for Blaze. Amy crossed her fingers and stared at her shoes.

"I don't think you guys are losers..."

No one responded and for a moment Amy wondered if she had said something amiss. Then, Silver patted her on the shoulder with a kind, no-strings-attached sort of smile and she realized that they probably already knew how she felt. If she _really _thought they were losers, she wouldn't be standing with them in the middle of a theme park while their dorm mate crushed the dreams of children. The five boys and their new pink friend sighed quietly as Blaze took out another bumper car, cackling wildly. A soft feeling seemed to wrap around Amy's heart, making her feel at ease. It was going to be a long day—she could feel it—and every minute would be worthwhile.

* * *

When the sun began to slip below the city buildings and the sky was washed with russet and cantaloupe, the passes finally ran out of stamp slots. It was a blessing in disguise; park security was hot on the trail of Amy and SLK, prepared to arrest them... or ban them from the park, at least. They had been on the run through Twinkle Park since Blaze's little show at the bumper cars. They moved so fast, Amy wondered if they had done it a hundred times before. Jumping from the bumper cars to another roller coaster, to a 3D adventure ride and again to a magical fairy ride where Knuckles fell asleep. The day was raucous with laughter and one awkward moment where Sonic insisted on feeding Amy a deep fried Oreo. The freshman had nearly exploded at _that_ particular moment.

At last, they were trudging on weary feet to the front gates, the last remnants of glee still warm on their faces and the cries of joy from the theme park fading into the background. The group began to plot their next course of action, albeit in an exhausted sort of way.

"Food," Silver said plainly. The rest nodded their heads, slumping against Chaos Control when they were near enough. The white hedgehog sat on the pavement, his letter jacket falling off his shoulders to hang on his elbows. "Where?"

Sonic raised a hand, "Lenny's." He grinned as if it was the greatest plan in the world. Knuckles began to unlock the car while Espio and Shadow made weakly argumentative faces at Sonic.

Blaze pressed a hand against her forehead, "We ate there the day before yesterday."

The blue hedgehog's drowsy face turned devious, "Then we're about due for the third visit this week. Whaddya say, Blazy?"

The lavender feline leaned back on her hips, brushing Sonic's hand from her shoulder, "Don't call me that." Sonic placed his hand back on its perch and gave her a challenging smirk, eliciting a small hiss from the cat and a irritated growl from Shadow.

Amy rubbed the side of her neck, glancing from one upperclassman to the next. Truth be told, she was a little embarrassed to go back to the diner, considering the one and only time she had been there ended in her making a fool of herself. She chewed her lower lip. Noticing her discomfort, Silver levitated himself into standing and smiled at her.

"You're worried about people remembering you."

The younger hedgehog sighed, "Is it that obvious?"

Silver chuckled warmly, "Nah, I'm just a lucky guesser. Don't worry—the people there forgot you already."

"Are you sure?"  
Sonic ducked Shadow's swing with expertise, popping back up again to wink at Amy, "Course we're sure! We practically _live_ at Lenny's." Blaze grabbed Shadow's sleeve before he could swing again. She rolled her gold eyes as she patted his coal-black hand.

"If we eat there any more often, we _will_."

Sonic laughed boisterously and Knuckles popped up from the driver's side. He held up his hands.

"Are we going or what?"

"Easy there, big guy!" Sonic sped around the car in the blink of an eye, "We can only go if I get to sit by Amy this time!" Glancing over his shoulder, he waggled his eyebrows at her. Amy raised a hand to her mouth to nervously chew her nails. Knuckles growled before picking Sonic up and tossing him into the car. Red sneakers smacked against the passenger window and Shadow chuckled darkly before opening the door.

"Get up. Same seating arrangement as last time." Sonic moaned sadly before crawling out. Blaze crawled in behind the seats and Amy followed tentatively. Espio completed the back seat trio and the rest of SLK bundled in. Knuckles started the car and began to pull away when Silver suddenly jolted.

"STOP! You're forgetting it's night time!"

Espio looked out the window the faintest hint of a frown on his brow, "The sun _just_ set."

Silver balled his fists and shook them, "It's night time, okay? And night time is...?"

"TECHNO TIME!" Sonic shouted. He bumped the stereo's power button, instantly drowning the car in blaring EDM music. Amy thought her ears might have fallen off. She pressed her hands over the tender apertures, turning to Blaze.

"Is it always this loud?" Her voice was muffled by the music. Blaze shrugged and the car tore away from the parking slot before speeding into the street. The darkened scenery shot past the windows as neon signs flickered to life. Amy's ears became used to the excess volume and instead a strange energetic feeling began to fill her veins, causing her emotions to crackle with electricity. The laughter of her companions mixed into the stirring beat and the invigorating synth and Amy Rose felt more alive than she had on the roller-coaster. Now _this _was what college was supposed to be like!

Somewhere in the back of her mind, the idea of Rouge waking up and not being able to contact her worried Amy. How could she explain that she had only meant to apologize... then was dragged into a full day of way too much fun? Rouge's scolding was carefully maneuvered, subtle, and biting—Amy didn't look forward to it. The car slowed and Sonic lowered the volume as they pulled into the Lenny's parking lot. Silver licked his lips.

"Pancakes... all you can eat pancakes," he grinned dreamily.

"Are they really that good here?" Amy asked. The albino turned around, his yellow eyes intense.

"They are legendary..."

Amy's stomach rumbled quietly, "I'll have to try them..."

Chaos Control idled briefly before going silent and the group crawled out and walked into the little restaurant. They were assaulted with the heavenly scent of fresh comfort food. Sonic raised his black nose into the air, breathing deeply.

"I'd almost forgotten what food smelled like," he groaned dramatically. Espio buried his face into a hand.

"We ate at Twinkle Park, Sonic... it was only a few hours ago, lest you forget."

"Might as well be forever," the speedy hedgehog chuckled. Espio rolled his eyes.

"So melodramatic."

Amy giggled behind a hand at the boys' gentle bickering and followed as the skinny coyote waitress from before led them to a round booth in a secluded corner. Amy pulled open her menu and remembered the grating mental suffering of having to choose between different meals. Silver pushed his unopened menu aside, already intent on unlimited pancakes. He reached across the table for the drink menu instead. Blaze, sitting to Amy's left, pursed her lips.

"I want a milkshake..."

Amy looked up at the inappropriately weighted statement, raising an eyebrow. On the other side of Blaze, Shadow's ear twitched over his menu. His soft voice slipped past the plastic.

"So get a milkshake."

Blaze bit her lower lip and sagged into a full frown, turning the page to glare at a fancy-looking sundae, "But I want ice cream too..." Shadow's menu slapped down onto the enameled table and he blinked slowly.

"So get ice cream."

"But I'm..." Blaze's eyes flickered down to her legs and back up. Shadow closed his menu and scooted closer to the feline. With unwavering merlot gaze, he leaned into her face. Amy watched as Blaze didn't even flinch, which seemed like a mighty feat. Shadow spoke.

"You're not fat. Eat both."

"Milkshake it is!" Blaze shoved her menu into the hedgehog's face and he leaned away, rolling his eyes. Amy caught him smirking nigh imperceptibly. Meanwhile, on her other side, Silver was tapping his waiting fork on the table.

"I'm so hungry... Knuckles, hurry up!"

The echidna pressed a fist against his own forehead, eyes widening at the array of choices. He spluttered frantically, "There's too much! I don't know!"

Espio sank deeper into the booth beside Knuckles, groaning in lament, "You've been eating here for two _years... _how can you not know what you like by now?"

"I'm indecisive," Knuckles stated simply. Sonic snorted the water he'd been drinking and choked before twisting his face into a teasing expression.

"I'm surprised you know a word that big, Knux. You been practicing?"

"Jog on, track-nerd," Knuckles shoved the blue hedgehog away irritably, returning to his perusal. Sonic shrugged with a dark snicker and dropped his menu on top of Silver's, leaning in front of the hungry albino to gaze at Amy.

"So. Whatcha getting, Ames?"

Feeling butterflies in her stomach, Amy focused on his forehead instead of his eyes, "I-I don't know yet... Possibly this breakfast sandwich... thing?"

Pulling out of his ravenous stupor, Silver turned to look at her menu, "Oh, that's a good one. You won't be sorry..." He paused, tacking on as an afterthought, "Until you see my pancakes, that is."

Sonic swiveled his head to glower at the telekinetic, "Why does that sound like an innuendo, coming from you?"

Silver looked down his nose at his blue friend, "Because _everything_ sounds like innuendo in your ears. What, are they clogged with all the fat from the chilidogs you eat?" The faintest pink flush spread over the bridge of Sonic's nose and he leaned back in the booth, grumbling softly. The waitress returned and took their order, leaving them to light conversation.

Amy learned that Sonic was attending Linehardt on a track-and-field scholarship—and that he was nicknamed "The Fastest Thing Alive" and the "Blue Blur". He made a terrible pun about how winning races made everything seem "racy", and that's why he always heard innuendos. Amy had laughed at first until Espio sank even lower in the booth and the rest of the group exhaled loudly. Silver explained that he hadn't lettered in any sport—he wasn't much of a runner—but instead was part of the Chess Team. When asked if _he _was in any sports, Shadow had scoffed and explained that he wasn't much of a "team player". He was focused on weapons science and chemistry in the hopes of securing a high-end government job after graduation. Amy was slightly intimidated and had asked Blaze about her classes to change the subject. The lavender cat shrugged, saying she just wanted to absorb as much about literature and writing as she could before she had to go back.

"Go back?" Amy asked.

"Home," Blaze murmured. Before Amy could further pursue her curiosity, the waitress returned with her arms full of plates and she doled them out with expertise. Silver immediately cut a wedge out of his oozing pancake stack and stuffed it into his mouth, moaning with pleasure.

"They're so _good_," he mumbled through the mouthful. Amy smiled and picked up one half of her sandwich, biting into it hungrily. The conversation fell aside as the students dug into their meals. It took less time for them to demolish the food than it had been to cook it. Finally, they all sat back and patted their stomachs. Amy rested her cheek on a hand.

"This day has been... amazing..."

Blaze pulled the straw from her mouth and gave the younger girl a small smile, "That's good... It's rare we make such a fine impression on new students." The boys nodded in agreement.

Amy sat up a little straighter, "Why does everyone say the things they do? About you guys, I mean."

Sonic leaned forward on the table with an uncharacteristic sober expression, "It's just a string of bad luck and gossiping city kids, mainly... We all went through high school together so it was a bit odd from the outside that we'd be placed into the same dorm," a smile tugged at his mouth. "I had a connection in an older student though, so it's not so much of a miracle. I guess a lot of people have a problem with Blaze living in a frat too, but she has social anxiety and we couldn't abandon her to the cattiness—pardon the pun... or not—of the sororities." Blaze stiffened at the mention of her personal problem, but rolled her eyes and pulled a knee to her chest, resting her face on it. Sonic continued, "There's also the frat rivalry with _Scourge_..."

"Who's Scourge?"

Sonic glared at his empty plate, "A very bad guy... Green hedgehog, stupid orange sunglasses he wears everywhere..."

Amy lurched forward, rattling the water glasses, "I saw him! He tried to get me to come to his dorm!" The table went silent and Sonic's eyebrows seemed to disappear into his forehead. His frown returned.

"Don't go _near_ him. Don't listen to anything he says. That whole dorm is bad news and _not_ in the same way we are."

Amy nodded and the silence seemed to swallow them up for a few awkward minutes. Then, she turned to Silver.

"So you said earlier that you and Blaze aren't from around here... Care to elaborate?"

Silver jumped and leaned as far back in his seat as he could—Blaze had smoke coming up from her hands.

"You _told _her?"

Silver shook his head, "I only said we weren't from around here!"

"You naive idiot..." Blaze quickly pulled her hood up, disappearing into the dark purple sweatshirt. She looked around the restaurant almost fearfully. Amy scratched her head.

"Am I missing something?"

"Well, since it's already out..." Blaze rested her arms on the table and whispered. "Silver and I are from another dimension. Don't make that face! You already accepted our... abilities, so just accept this as well. We're from the Sol Dimension and if you so much as tell a single person about me you won't be going back home for break."

Amy gulped. Shadow snickered. Blaze sat back and pulled her milkshake to herself, biting down on the straw hard. After a moment, she spoke quietly.

"I don't like to tell people, because it sounds like a tragic back story and _far_ too Mary Sue... but you seem trustworthy, if your ridiculously innocent antics in Advanced Lit are anything to go by."

Amy sputtered.

Blaze set her glass down and fixed the pink hedgehog in her firm gaze, "I'm a princess in the Sol Dimension. I came to Mobius when I was fifteen to learn about the life of the average person, as well as escape my overbearing parents. Silver, my close friend" she gestured at the albino, "came with for safety measures. I spent a good four years in high school with this riotous bunch of idiots and the first year of college seemed successful. Then, _Marine_ followed from Sol and... ugh!" Blaze dug her claws into a napkin, "That silly little girl keeps trying to get me to go home. I love her to death, but... I don't plan on returning until I'm good and ready."

The bizarre tale ended as abruptly as it began and Blaze went back to licking whipped cream from her fingertips. Amy breathed shakily.

"This amazing day just got weird again," she said. Sonic laughed, shattering the tense atmosphere.

"You'll get used to it, Ames."

Amy lifted her eyes to meet his green ones and bit her lip. Was he... inviting her to hang out with them again? She mentally chided herself—since when was he the "leader", anyway? Suddenly, a snore was heard from the purple chameleon half-lying down in his seat and Knuckles stated it was time to head home. They paid and returned to the noisy blue car and drove off into the night. Amy fell into a warm stupor, thinking about all the information she'd learned and the overall strangeness of the day. Before she realized they were back at Linehardt and pulling into the SLK driveway. As the others climbed from the car, stretching and chatting idly, she moved to bid them goodnight. Before she could, however, Sonic tapped her shoulder. He smiled.

"You much for video games, Amy?"

"I've never really played any," she shrugged.

"Well, we have this _lovely _little nightly event with a game called Street Fighter Two... You in?" He waggled his eyebrows and Amy couldn't say no.

She replied breathlessly, "Couldn't hurt to try." Sonic made a triumphant gesture and dorm members—with their new acquaintance—filed into their too-big house. Late into the night, when the moon rose into the smoggy sky and shined down on the manicured campus like white gold, the cheers and cries of a Street Fighter tournament rang out the open windows into the cool air.

* * *

Morning arrived.

Amy shot up from her position on Sigma Lambda Kappa's couch and looked around at the sleeping members in a panic. The memory of a seemingly endless game from the night before flooded her mind, forcing her to recall that she had never gone back to her dorm. Amy Rose did not often think things through, and the thought of Rouge's fury she would surely face overwhelmed her frayed nerves.

So Amy Rose screamed.

* * *

**Ugh, I'm not happy with the portrayal of the ending... But I'm charging through this writer's block and I'll only do better in the future! Thank you all for your time again! **


	6. A Shakespearean Friendship

***Sigh* ...I'm a bad, bad procrastinator. This time was entirely my fault; I got this _huge_ influx of ideas and I wanted to write all of them at once! So I spent a while setting up new projects and mapping out different story plans and procrastinated writing this chapter, which I was very unsure of. I hope the end of this one makes up for the wait!**

_Lost and Forgotten Memories: I tried to work out what could be wrong with that phrase, but then chalked it up to just awkward wording. I'm glad to hear it's funny! I'm not really good at writing humor, so I need constant reassurance hehe_

_June Dune: Oh my goodness! When I saw I got another review from you I squeaked with excitement! I don't really like school fics either, but there are so many of them I decided to try and parody the style. Originally, this fic was going to be a collection of one-shots that poked fun at high-school story tropes, but then it morphed into me just trying to challenge myself with a subject I don't like. It's hard, but it's worth it. On Espio... As I was writing _Advents_, I was watching a lot of _Sonic X_ and researching different characters that didn't feature quite as frequently in main roles. I remembered my love of the Chaotix and wanted to include all of them, but realized that if I wanted Tails and Cream where they are in this story, that Charmy Bee (who is roughly the same age) couldn't be at the college dorm. Also, Vector always seemed older to me than canon due to his crush on Vanilla, so I made him too old to actually be in college. Therefore, I was left with Espio alone, but he's so fun to write I don't really mind. Thank you for your review, I'm so very thankful for it!_

_SunsetSparkle421: I'm glad you enjoyed! And yes, Sonic is a cutie all right hehe_

_adar13: I'm glad I'm not alone. Writer's block is the worst feeling! I hope the encounter with Rouge is satisfying :)_

* * *

6: A Shakespearean Friendship

Surprisingly, no one woke up. Amy sat frozen in her position on the mushy couch, her mouth open in shock. Espio strolled in from the kitchen, his expression tranquil, eating a bowl of cereal with a fork. Seeing the pink hedgehog awake, he waved the utensil pleasantly.

"Good morning."

Amy scrunched her bangs in distress, "What am I going to _do_?"

The chameleon blinked, "About what? Your hair?"

"What do you mean?!" Amy peeled the blanket she was wrapped in away from her and jumped up, carefully picking her way over the slumbering bodies on the floor to the hallway. She caught her reflection in a decorative wall mirror and jumped. "I look like a zombie!" Espio continued to crunch on cereal as he watched her attempt to straighten her wrinkled shirt and twisted pants. Finally he swallowed.

"Day-old windblown isn't a _bad_ look, per se. Very early-2000s alternative."

"I don't _want _to look early-2000s alternative!" The freshman tugged her fingers through her quills. There was a rustling of movement back in the den and Sonic's whine trailed out.

"Why... so... _noise_..." He faded off into a snore. Espio took another forkful of cereal. Amy inhaled and exhaled slowly before clasping her hands in front of her. She looked at Espio firmly.

"Um... Thank you all, for yesterday... I'm sorry if I imposed."

Espio shrugged, "No problem."

"I... I'm gonna go back," Amy stuttered and she bolted for the front door before a reply could be made. She closed the front door behind her and sprinted across the street to her own dorm. GNO's massive door echoed up into the entryway; it was still the weekend for many students. Amy chewed a nail, not quite ready to face her best friend's scolding just yet. She decided to procrastinate and explore more of her own dorm and headed down the hall. Before long, she found herself in the den and was greeted by a familiar face.

"Wow. A week into your first year and you already slept over some guy's place." Wave's steely blue eyes drifted over Amy's mussed appearance before returning to the coffee table in front of her, which was occupied by a coffee mug, some worksheets, and a rotor. She absently took a swig from the mug and scribbled down some notes. Amy groaned inwardly, utterly mortified. She cautiously entered the large room and fell into an arm chair a safe distance from the swallow. A few minutes passed and Amy chanced a conversation.

"I... I didn't sleep over some guy's place... Not like how you mean, that is."

Wave raised her eyebrows without looking up from her homework, "Oh."

Ignoring the subtly acerbic tone, Amy pressed on, "I just met some new friends and we played video games really late," she sighed. "I guess I fell asleep over there."

Wave's expression darkened slightly and she looked up, "College is a dangerous place. Who did you so naively sleep over with?"

Amy turned her head defensively, "Sigma Lambda Kappa..." Before she could scramble away, the swallow was directly in front of her, eyes wild.

"Do you know how dangerous that is?!"

Amy raised her hands in front of her face, "They seemed like nice people!"

"Of course they did!" Wave growled, "_They're_ not who I'm talking about, the bunch of idiots. I'm talking about Delta Epsilon Delta! As in if you get in their way, you are DED!"

Amy frowned in confusion, "What?" Realizing how uninformed the pink hedgehog truly was, Wave quickly regained her composure. She reached up and tidied her bandanna slowly.

"I see you haven't met them yet, then." Her expression turned sightly ashamed and she looked away, "My... _friend_... is part of Delta Epsilon Delta and their dorm has a fairly _aggressive _rivalry with SLK. It's even escalated to violence in the past."

Amy recoiled and Wave shook her head quickly.

"No no! It wasn't that bad... just a little brawl in the industrial district of the city... Anyway, if they see you hanging out with SLK, I won't be able to say anything to stop them from harassing you as well. I—oh, why is this so weird...?" Wave pressed fingers to her temples, massaging her head in small circular motions. Amy stared at her, unsure of what to say or do. After a few awkward moments, Wave shook her head and her expression returned to its usual mask of haughty indifference. She blinked.

"It doesn't matter, I guess. You won't be going back there, so Jet won't bother you." The swallow returned to scribbling on her worksheet and carefully studying the rotor. Amy took this to mean the awkward, forced-feeling conversation was officially over and scampered away, finally ready to face her best friend. As she made her way up the stairs, some older sorority sisters looked at her and began whispering frantically, making strange motions with their hands and snickering. Amy's ears drooped slightly and she slumped her way up to the second floor.

Rouge was brushing her teeth to get ready for bed when Amy skulked by on her way to their room. She blinked, her blue eyes hard, and spoke past the foam in her mouth.

"So, you finally saw fit to show your face."

At the harsh tone in the bat's voice, Amy's lips trembled, "Rouge... I'm sorry I didn't call... I just got so swept up in activity that I ended up falling asleep there."

"Where?" Rouge spat the toothpaste into the sink, running the water and beginning to wash her face. Her ears twitched—the only sign that she was still listening to the pink hedgehog. Amy bit her lip and leaned against the door jamb, holding her elbows and wondering _exactly _how angry Rouge would be if she told her about the insane night spent gaming with SLK. Rouge turned off the tap and patted her face with a washcloth before turning and pressing a fist to her hips. She eyed Amy coldly.

"It's amazing to me that all I have ever done for you is watch and care. You're my _best friend_, Amy Rose, and I'm not going to lecture you after _one_ week of university." Amy opened her mouth to respond but Rouge stalked past her and began to walk towards their room with the younger girl following, "Forget I asked 'where'; I _know_ you went to Sigma. I know you spent all day with them and I know you slept over. I just want you to think about what I told you, though: they're dangerous. It's not good to get involved with them for so many reasons that I can't even begin to explain it." Amy closed the door to their room as Rouge haphazardly stripped out of her clothes, rooting around in a small dresser for her pajamas. The white bat yanked on a pair of flannel bottoms and slipped a t-shirt over her head, then crawled into her bed. She looked up at Amy one final time, the faintest trace of hurt in her eyes.

"I guess you're an adult now, though, so it's none of _my_ business." She fell back among her pillows and buried herself in blankets, leaving Amy to stand by and fret helplessly. Eventually, knowing that she had nothing to refute Rouge's argument even if she woke her up, Amy grabbed her toiletries and a set of clean lounge wear and went for a shower. The hot water washed away the tenseness in her muscles and gave some clarity to her mind.

She realized it was really foolish for her to just fall asleep at a stranger's house. _Especially_ since it was filled with mostly boys. It was also really stupid to disregard Rouge like she had, completely ignoring her warning and then not even calling her to say where she'd be. Amy sagged against the shower wall, chewing her lower lip remorsefully. No, she'd resolve to do better. She'd apologized and made herself out to be civil—that was all that was necessary, right?

Yet... the memories of their wild adventure at Twinkle Park and the way they all cheered for her when she beat a high score in Street Fighter filled her with the most pleasant warmth. Back at Green Hill, she'd always had friends, but the only person she was really close to was Rouge. Rouge was the stereotypical "older friend"—she had such nice clothes, she knew all the best places to hang out and see cute boys... and she always watched out for Amy's safety in her own detached sort of way. The residents of Sigma Lambda Kappa were just so... invigorating. They seemed to set aside all the judgments they received from outside and just focused on really _living_. It didn't matter where they were, they would still have fun.

It was so different from what Amy had experienced before and she didn't want to lose that new perspective. If anything, she wanted to drink it in like mother's milk and let it burn through her veins. She felt confident and safe in those hours she spent with the forbidden frat... so was it really so wrong to want to stay with them?

_Yes... Rouge knows what she's talking about and I will be a good friend and listen._

Amy turned the tap off and reached for her towel through the curtain. Her resolution was strong and she would not fail! She couldn't!

With a renewed determination to listen to her best friend and have a good, average first year, Amy made her way back to her dorm room and sat down at her desk to do homework quietly. Rouge woke up briefly and eyed Amy with a concerned look.

"I just don't want to worry about you..."

Amy shook her head and smiled softly, "You don't have to. I won't go back there again."

Rouge nodded and rolled over in her mass of bedding and Amy studied hard throughout the day, hoping for a much better Tuesday morning.

* * *

The next day, as Amy reached the main street, she was greeted by none other than the people she wanted to avoid most. Sonic was at the head of them, his long legs sprawled forward from the yard into the path. Upon seeing the freshman, the members of SLK all looked up and spoke their various greetings.

"What are you guys doing here?" Amy asked. Silver looked up with a warm grin.

"We didn't hear from you yesterday. We wanted to make sure you were all right after we kinda failed at bringing you back safely." He turned sheepish at the end, rubbing the thick toes of his boots together. Sonic nodded to back up the albino's statement.

"We really should have been more careful. I'm sure your friends were worried about you." He tilted his head to the side, green eyes striking Amy far too forcefully for the early morning. The pink hedgehog rubbed the back of her leg with a foot, hoping that Rouge wasn't watching from the window above. She had to tell them she couldn't be seen with them...

"Anyway, since you and I share a class first thing," Blaze straightened her jacket (which seemed a little fancy for an average school day) before eyeing Amy flatly. "Shadow suggested that we walk with you."

The black hedgehog's eyes went wide, "I... I didn't."

Blaze smirked at him, "Don't worry; no one is going to mistake you as a softy."

Silver stood and whispered to Amy, "Even though he _so totally is_." Despite herself, Amy chuckled. The warmth of the forbidden group was blooming in her core again. Why was it so hard to deny these people? She looked from one to the next—Sonic's enticing looks to Knuckles boisterous personality—and realized something she didn't want to admit.

_They're just... good people._

Espio pulled out his phone to check the time and suggested they make their way towards the academics complex before they were late. Everyone agreed and they were off. As Amy began to fall into place behind them, however, she heard someone whisper her name. She turned with a curious glance, only to see Sally and Tikal a few feet behind her, gesturing with concerned eyes.

"Amy!" Tikal hissed, "_What_ are you doing?"

Not wanting to alert the others, Amy only mouthed, _Going to class!_

Sally and Tikal frowned, _With them? Come on, don't be stupid. Come with us!  
_

Deliberation passed over the pink hedgehog's face for a moment. Sally and Tikal briefly expected her to pull away and come walk with them in safety, but then... she simply shrugged, smiled and turned back around.

* * *

School passed with a strange electricity in the air. Amy knew she had done something very final when she had ignored her friends to walk with SLK. Yet... she couldn't just slap away Sigma's attention without seeming like she consisted entirely of mood swings, so she would have to find a way to tell them gently. Like a guillotine of old, the notion hung over her head throughout the day, not helped by Sonic and Silver greeting her in Physics with wide smiles and silly antics as well as Knuckles offering his best help to get through Global Studies.

The day finally ended; Amy planned to make a break for her dorm to take a moment to plan, but she was thwarted by none other than the Blue Blur himself. Sonic smiled leisurely at the courtyard entrance, leaning against the stone dividers with his hands behind his head and an infuriating smirk on his Venus-flytrap face. He raised his eyebrows while keeping his lids closed lazily.

"Going somewhere _fast_, Ames?"

Amy skidded to a halt and straightened her skirt, attempting to appear casual, "Um... Not really." Sonic opened his eyes half-way, the hypnotic smirk never leaving his lips. He lurched away from the divider and gestured for her to follow him. When she hesitated, he paused and turned, his eyes appearing wounded.

"Don't you want to come hang out again? You had a lot of fun on Sunday, right?"

The question lingered in the quiet air like mist. Amy breathed in and out softly, quelling the butterflies in her stomach and organizing her thoughts into some semblance of logic.

"I-I... I can't," she drooped over, staring at her shiny red boots. "The truth is... my friends keep saying Sigma Lambda Kappa is dangerous. They say that if I'm seen with you, other people will _talk..._ or even bully me." She raised her eyes slightly to gauge his expression—it was unreadable. "Rouge is my best friend and I've known her since we were kids. I don't want to disappoint her." They sat in silence. A cool breeze blew over the campus carrying the mixed scents of perfumes, the cafeteria and books. Sonic grinned.

"'Disappoint'... or _disobey_?"

Amy raised an eyebrow, "W-what?"

"You heard me. I think you _liked_ hanging with us and you just don't want to lose your friend for 'disobeying' her insinuated command."

"Rouge isn't like that! She really cares about me!"

"Yeah, but she's also like a parent, right? Sometimes people start to get overprotective with time. Amy, you can't live your life by other peoples' rules. Now come on, we've got to get you having some fun!" He grabbed her hand before she could argue further and broke into a sprint. It wasn't what she was expecting though. The very fabric of reality seemed to blur around her and the wind whipped her hair free from its headband. She would have screamed if they hadn't stopped so fast, already standing on Sigma's front stoop. Sonic pulled her into the house and she followed without a sound, dazed from the run. They ghosted through the hallway to enter the kitchen, which was bustling with a bizarre commotion.

"Knuckles, I need more oil than that stupid spray can," Silver growled. "Get me the bottle!" Amy assessed the situation: Silver stood over a massive wok which—judging by the surrounding Jack bags—was filled with sausage biscuit sandwiches. Knuckles was rumbling around the kitchen, grabbing different things from the shelves. Shadow and Blaze were a distance away, sitting at a small dining table which was littered with textbooks and notepaper. They were sharing a pair of earbuds and frowning in concentration. Espio was nowhere to be seen. Upon receiving the bottle of vegetable oil, Silver grinned wickedly and bit the cap off, pouring the gold mixture over the mountain of biscuits.

"What...?" Amy squeaked. It was too noisy for anyone to hear her, though. Instead, Silver gestured at Knuckles and the echidna dropped an extendable lighter into his open hand. The hedgehog cackled madly before holding the lighter against the oiled biscuits and sparking it to life.

If the Guinness Book of World Records crew had been there, they would have given the award for Best-smelling Explosion Ever. Sadly, they were not. Instead, the inhabitants of the kitchen cried out in terror at the monster they created and flailed around.

"Aiieeee!" Silver jumped backwards onto the island counter, his eyes wide with fear. "It's b-big!"

Shadow, who was not panicking but placidly going about his homework, murmured, "What did you expect?"

Knuckles grabbed a nearby pot and began filling it in the sink as flames licked up the wall. Sonic dug his fingers into his quills.

"You idiots! I leave the house for _two seconds_ and you're burning it to the ground! What would Vector say?!"

"He'd probably give us cookies for experimenting!" Silver shouted. Knuckles approached the wok with his filled pot and leaned back. Sensing his intent, Amy yelped.

"YOU CAN'T USE WATER ON A GREASE FIRE!"

It was too late—the water was free and the previous explosion was dwarfed by this one. Sonic and Silver had the good sense to jump out of the way, but Amy was a bit slower and only managed to turn around. The fire caught on her backpack and she began to scream.

"AAAAGGGH I'M ON FIRE!"

There was chaos and a scramble in the kitchen. Someone yelled "stop drop and roll" and Amy fell to the floor. Strong hands wrestled her backpack off of her and then there was a chorus of stomping sounds. She sat up and turned around just in time to see Shadow release the contents of a fire extinguisher on the smoldering wreckage. As it sputtered out, the room was deathly quiet. Amy crawled forward shakily, pulling at the flap of her backpack to reveal the books inside.

They were little more than ash and soggy paper.

"These... were rented..." The whisper escaped her almost of its own volition. There was a collective sharp intake of breath at the realization. The freshman continued, "I... don't have the money to pay for these... Especially not replacements."

"Ames..." Sonic began. She was on her feet in a millisecond, whirling on him and brandishing a yellow-and-red mallet. He sputtered.

"Where did _that _come from?!"

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU IDIOT! I NEEDED THOSE FOR THE WHOLE _YEAR_!"

"Amy don't kill us!" Silver burst into a wail and jumped over the counter. Shadow and Blaze both grabbed onto the younger girl's arms, restraining her from the murder of Sonic. She thrashed about, swinging the mallet ferociously.

"Amy, calm down," Blaze said calmly. "We'll pay for the damages."

"WHAT AM I GOING TO DO UNTIL THEN?"

Espio was suddenly in the door of the kitchen, sucking on a juice box. Studying the carnage around him—the burnt walls, the sizzling pile of biscuits, the charred backpack and his dorm-mates all looking quite surprised. He sucked at the straw again, unblinkingly.

Blaze loosened her grasp on Amy's arm, "You can study with me for Literature. I know Shadow has some old science books that you might be able to use. He can also tutor you in your math class. I hear Knuckles' Global Studies class doesn't do much anyway and Espio will help you with anything you need to know for computers."

It was too coincidental to be real. Amy melted to the floor, "Rouge will kill me..." She looked up at Sonic's inappropriate laugh, only to have him meet her gaze, his own filled with mirth. He chuckled again.

"Well Ames, guess you're stuck with us."


	7. Joined at the Hip

**So um... hi. **

**Sorry for the unintended hiatus. Lots of stuff happened. I've been on a long journey and lots of things have changed. Then, one day, I suddenly felt the call back to the StH fandom and well... here I am.**

**I'm not gonna waste time answering reviews or blabbing about myself. Just want to say huge thanks for everyone who has looked at this story and sent me messages encouraging me to finish it. I hope we can create something beautiful together. **

**And with this chapter, after about a _million_ years, the set-up is complete and the real story begins. **

**-x**

* * *

7: Joined at the Hip, or, My Best Friend Hates Me

Amy nursed her can of Mountain Dew with a far away expression. Blaze and Shadow returned to their quiet study corner while Silver sat on the floor and picked through the remnants of Amy's backpack with a scientific curiosity. Knuckles and Sonic were in the living room playing a very noisy video game which could only be _Dynasty Warriors_, and Espio had disappeared.

"Aha!" Silver freed a spiral-bound notebook from the wreckage. It was a little singed around the edges and messy from the extinguisher, but otherwise usable. Amy's curly handwriting was still clearly visible, even. Silver wrinkled his nose in a smirk, "Why does this one read like a diary? 'Today I met some new people. One was this really cute guy who—!'" Amy snatched the notebook from his grasp, the crushed aluminum of her soda can gripped in her other hand. She spoke venomously.

"Do not—_ever—_go through a lady's things!"

Silver, ignoring her, made a regretful face at the inside of her backpack, "Sorry Amy, looks like all your tampons were completely destroyed." Amy's face turned a deep shade of crimson and there was a thinly-veiled snicker from Shadow's direction. The pink hedgehog threw down her soda can and gripped one of Silver's ears between her thumb and forefinger.

"Silver... You're walking on a _very_ thin line right now. Thread thin. Spiderweb thin. Do. Not. Cross. It."

Gulping at the sudden fire in the younger girl's green eyes, Silver nodded and pushed the charred backpack aside. He jumped to his feet and dusted his hands over his jacket, yellow irises flicking around the room awkwardly.

"Well—um—I-I have to... go do some science homework! Yes, that!" The albino was gone before Amy could further threaten him, leaving her behind in the now-silent kitchen. Her shoulders sagged and she ran a hand through her bangs.

"I guess I should head home too..." she murmured to no one in particular. Shadow's pencil scratching accompanied his voice as it floated across the room.

"Not much of a point though, is there?"

Amy eyed him warily, "What do you mean, exactly?"

Ridged eyebrows moved upwards slightly, "Well, your friend told you to stay away from us right? So what's going to happen if you go back there now?" He paused for effect before looking up and meeting Amy's eyes with his own, "She's going to lecture you and somehow force you into never seeing us again. Then where will you be with your whole," he gestured at her backpack, "_situation_?"

Amy slumped forward dramatically, "You're... you're right... Ugh..." She leaned against the wall and sank down, pulling her knees to her chest. The room was silent except for the faint buzz of the music on Blaze and Shadow's headphones. Across the hall the shrieks of fan-wielding Chinese girls exploded from the television set.

When no one said anything more to encourage her to stay, Amy sighed one final time and made her way back to Gamma Nu Omega to explain her problem to Rouge. She knew that Rouge would be just waking up when she got back, and the idea settled into her stomach like too much fast food. She passed between the bustle of other students in her dorm and ascended the fancy stairs which had seemed so posh at first; now they just felt stifling. Faster than she could keep up with, paranoid thoughts began to crash around in her mind, dragging down any confidence she had. Eventually, Amy's red boots came to a stop in front of her room and she took a deep breath to quiet her mind.

She opened the door cautiously, poking her head around the side. The lump of brightly-colored sheets moved slightly, emitting a quiet snore. Amy crept into the room, shutting the door behind her. There were still a few minutes before Rouge woke up luckily, so she had some time to go over what she was going to say.

_I'll just tell her the truth... She's my best friend; she'll understand... right? _Amy eyed the snoring lump on the bed across the room. She shivered, thinking about how upset Rouge was _last _time she warned Amy not to be involved with SLK. Amy bit her lip—she didn't want things to fall apart with Rouge anymore than they already had. She'd only been here for just over a week! It was still March... and she had already pissed off her best friend.

_Maybe... I'll just _not_ tell her? I'm sure it'll all be dealt with soon enough! There's no point in blowing things out of proportion, _Amy grinned at her brilliance. _Yeah, I'll just hide it and then stop talking to them as soon as it's all over._

"What are you grinning about?" Rouge's teasing, sleepy voice emanated from the blanket pile as she stretched. Amy jolted at the sudden question. Rouge peered over her blankets with a smirk, "Something happen with that cute fox from your computer class?"

Amy chuckled nervously, "W-what? No, that guy turned out to be a complete air head." She waved her hand in a dismissive motion. "I was... just thinking... how happy I am that you let me stay with you here. I definitely wouldn't have gotten in to Linehardt without your help, Rouge." Rouge sat up and continued stretching while she listened. When Amy finished, the bat smiled sincerely and jumped out of bed to hug her.

"Ohhhh, you're too sweet! If anything, I should be thanking _you_..." Rouge pulled away and walked over to her dresser, pulling out clothes for her night classes.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked, confused.

"To be honest I was really lonely," Rouge gathered her clothes and her toiletry bag. "I didn't really have anyone else I wanted to talk to. You know me," she flipped her hair, "I'm a lone wolf, except where it comes to you."

Guilt bloomed like a poisonous flower in the pit of Amy's stomach. She resisted the urge to bite her lower lip and opted instead for a forced smile. Poor Rouge, alone at this massive university for so long and then she came along... and Rouge probably hoped that she would hang out with her.

_All I've done is ignore her for complete strangers... _

"By the way," Rouge paused on her way out the door, "I'm sorry for flipping out on you so badly yesterday... I know you just got here and it's not really your fault if you're just trying to be nice. I just..." she paused and sighed. "I care about you, okay?"

The poisonous flower grew larger—Amy's smile tightened, "Thanks."

* * *

After Amy struggled through another few awkward minutes with her best friend before Rouge left for class, the day dragged on. She didn't feel like socializing with any of the other sorority girls, as they were a bit intense, and the only other people were the infamous residents of SLK.

She wasn't really in the mood for visiting with them.

So she resigned herself to a peaceful afternoon alone. Picking a book off the small shared shelf in the corner of the room, she plopped back down on her bed and pushed the window open before laying back and digging in. The hours dragged by. The sun slid lazily on its arc through the blue vastness of sky that hung over the Linehardt campus. Occasionally a gentle breeze that was just beginning to smell of springtime flowers would ruffle the lacy curtains on Amy's window. The chatter of students both outside and inside the dorm was pleasantly homey.

Eventually evening fell and Amy was roused by her growling stomach. She jumped, startled, when it roared at her.

"Oh," she caught the time on the clock on her nightstand and mumbled to herself, "I guess it's gotten kind of late." She realized that—regretfully—the school dining hall was closed for the night. She also realized that this was the first time that she was completely on her own for food. All of her other nights so far had been occupied by going to Sally and Tikal or Marine to the dining hall—or being taken around by SLK. Breathing deeply, Amy set her book aside and stretched. "Guess I'll look up some take-out restaurants in the area!"

* * *

It was completely dark out on Amy's way back to Gamma Nu Omega. She walked with a brisk stride, the tiniest flickers of nervousness tingling in her spine. Even on campus, being alone at night was a little nerve-wracking. The smell of her teriyaki was driving her stomach wild; its gurgles were almost scarier than her current situation. Amy chuckled to herself at the thought. To distract herself, she checked her phone for the time and wondered if Rouge's last class was almost done.

_If I hurry, I can make it back before her and we can share the food!_

"In a rush, sweetheart?" A slick voice stopped Amy in her tracks. Tucking her phone away, she looked up to see Scourge the Hedgehog, leering down at her with his sunglasses pushed back on his head. He waggled his eyebrows and shoved a hand into a pocket on his leather jacket. "You seem like you're walking awful fast for such a... _nice_ night." He grinned, licking oddly sharp teeth.

Amy sunk in on herself, holding her bag of food a little in front of her, "Um... I'm just on my way back to my dorm... Going to eat dinner and all that." She smiled anxiously. Scourge raised his eyebrows, nodding vaguely before looking over his shoulder. The rumbling sound of something wheeled echoed down the large path before a green hawk rolled up to the two hedgehogs on a long board.

"Hey, Jet." Scourge drawled. The hawk stepped off his board on one foot, holding it in place with the other. He and Scourge exchanged a complicated handshake before he gestured at Amy.

"Who's the girl?"

Scourge continued to grin eerily, "Just a babe I'm giving some advice to." He gestured broadly, as if he were some sort of prince, "Out of the _kindness_ of my heart... I'm inviting her to DED for a night of fun and frolic." He leaned close to Amy's face and she cowered. He chuckled darkly, "And the best booze you can get on campus." Jet looked unimpressed.

"Fiona's gonna burn your stuff again if she finds out you're wasting time on some freshman trash." He glared at Amy, challenging her to speak up in defense. She didn't. Scourge pulled away from her and groaned loudly.

"It's not my fault she chose some snobby girls-only academy. If she were so worried she shoulda come to Linehardt like I told her to. And besides," he slung an arm over Amy's shoulders, "this piece is some of the best material in the new _harvest_, ya know?"

Amy grit her teeth. 'Sweetheart'? 'Babe'? '_Piece_'? Who did this guy think he was? Some sort of college Don Juan? He had nerve. She slipped out from under his arm and stepped away.

"Well," she laughed awkwardly, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your uh... _generous_ offer. I really just want to get back to my dorm and eat. So uh, I'll be taking off now." She turned to leave but Scourge appeared in front of her, creepily similar to the way Sonic moved. The green hedgehog wasn't smiling any longer. He had a dark expression and he leaned over her, brushing his hands up her arms too gently.

"Listen," he growled, "I know you've been getting close to those losers at the end of the road. Well let me give you that _advice_," he bit down on the end of the word, causing Amy to flinch. "Those idiots are the bottom of the food chain around here and me? I'm the top. If I don't like it when they get too happy, I _do something _ about it... and you know what I hate the most?" He pressed his face close enough to Amy's so that their noses brushed, "I _hate_ when they poach girls from me."

Amy shivered.

Scourge smiled, nodding, "Yeah. I can tell you're afraid. That's good. That means you'll listen when I say that the only dorm you're gonna be involved with other than your own... is DED. And trust me when I say you'll wind up DED... one way or the other." He pulled away from Amy so fast that she fell to her knees, trembling as she stared up at Scourge. He grinned down at her one last time before Jet spoke up.

"You're always such a dang creep, Scourge. Let's get out of here before someone sees you."

Scourge nodded, turning on his heel and following the hawk back into the shadows, lacing his arms behind his head like he owned the world.

Amy fell forward onto her palms, arms shaking so much that she could hardly hold herself up. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was hold and gasped in fresh air. Terrified thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to choke back sobs.

_I thought Linehardt was a really good school...? I didn't think people like him got into places this nice... Can I tell anyone about this...? Who would listen? I'm just a freshman... _She took some shaky deep breaths before pulling herself to her feet and almost running back to GNO.

Her appetite was gone.

* * *

The morning was a bit of an uncomfortable blur, as Amy's alarm didn't go off on time. When she finally woke up, class had already begun, so she was forced to rush getting ready and sprint to the school buildings. Professor Bramble eyed her irritably when she entered the lecture hall, but she was thankful that he didn't deem her worthy of being called out in front of the class. She slid along the wall, avoiding the stares of any students who were awake enough to be judgmental.

Blaze was wrapped tight in her sweatshirt, hood drawstrings pulled tight around her face. She was slouched back on the bench so far that Amy wondered how she wasn't falling off. When Amy plopped down beside her, she only grunted. When Professor Bramble stopped the lecture to allow for some time to focus on the homework, Blaze slid up and fell forward onto the desk with a quiet _thud_. Her drawstrings came loose enough for her face to peek out a bit. Amy waved warily.

Blaze sighed, "Hey."

"Hi," Amy whispered. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah." Blaze said. She finally sat up all the way, shoving her book over so Amy could use it. "Last night Knuckles bet money that Shadow couldn't beat Sonic in a racing game, but then it turned out that we didn't actually _own_ a racing game, so we ended up driving all over town trying to find one in the shops around here... Needless to say," she slumped onto her hand, staring at the ceiling with exhausted eyes, "we were up quite late."

"Wow," Amy breathed. "That's... certainly a story."

Blaze shrugged.

"Thanks for letting me use your books, by the way," Amy offered.

Blaze nodded, "It's the least we can do... considering." She slumped forward once more. Some minutes passed and snores emanated from her hood. Amy fretted that the tired cat would fall behind on class work, but when Blaze shifted in her sleep, Amy saw that she had actually already finished the assignment.

* * *

The week continued in that simple fashion, with the various members of Sigma Lambda Kappa offering their assistance where they could. Shadow dropped off his old books with her before math one day, and with some hard work and some help from the misfit group, Amy wasn't failing any of her classes. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, even her sneaking around so Rouge wouldn't notice anything amiss. Amy was a little uncomfortable with coming up with an excuse about where her books were. It seemed like the lies were piling up—it wore heavy on her well-meaning shoulders.

At last, Friday arrived. Amy was happy that all of her teachers (excluding Professor Shell, as he didn't have much of a curriculum) had given their students a break and decided not to give out homework. She was free to relax and enjoy her weekend to the fullest in sunny Station Square. She stretched coming out of her last class, breathing in the brisk March air.

_I hope spring break comes soon!_

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a gust of air pulled her out of her reverie. Sonic was standing in front of her, almost out of breath. He panted for a moment before looking at her, eyes wide.

"Have you seen Silver anywhere?"

Amy was startled at the odd question, "N-no, why would I know where Silver is?"

"I just," Sonic looked around frantically, peering through the crowd of students, "he said he was going to the bathroom and we were gonna head out to the track to mess around... I just checked all the bathrooms and he's not in any of them."

"A-_all _of the bathrooms?" Amy spluttered incredulously.

"All of them." Sonic ran a hand through his frazzled quills, starting to breath heavy from anxiety. Amy grabbed his other hand in an attempt to comfort him.

"I'm sure he's around somewhere. I can help you look for him if you like."

Sonic was about to say thanks when he was drowned out by the roar of an engine even louder than Chaos Control. He and Amy looked towards the street, where a massive four wheel truck covered in dune gear and a tacky, green-flame paint job was charging up from the directions of the dorms. It slowed as it approached the pair of hedgehogs and Amy's stomach dropped when she saw Jet was driving it. Scourge, like some villain in a superhero movie rose from the truck bed, cackling.

"Hey, Blue Idiot," he shouted over the thundering engine, "guess what I've got!" He gestured to the truck bed, where Silver was tied up and being held down by some other members of DED. Scourge laughed at Sonic's expression, "Your little buddy here's on his way to get _initiated_, all 'cause your pink friend thought she was too good for our beloved Delta Epsilon Delta! See ya later, loser!" The truck drove through the campus exit and disappeared into the city.

Amy gaped after them, shocked.

Sonic seethed, "I need to call the others."


	8. Don't Try This at Home, Kids

**This is by far the stupidest thing I've ever written, but I had a good laugh while doing it and that's all that matters.**

_Lost and Forgotten Memories: Yeah, hopefully I'm back to finish this. Good to see you're still around on here!_

**Hope you all enjoy and, as a caution, don't drive while under any influence. If you do, I take no responsibility for it ;) Have a good day everyone!**

* * *

8: Don't Try This at Home, Kids (Seriously, Don't)

Sonic whirled around, his face determined, "Amy, you're not involved with this. You should head home." He chuckled softly, "Don't want you getting hurt, or anything."

"Actually..." Amy bit her lip, "I think I _am_ involved... He said they took Silver because of me."

Sonic scratched his head, "Ah... 'pink friend'..." He laughed, "I thought he meant Knuckles."

Amy frowned.

"Anyway!" Sonic whipped out his cell and began tapping madly at the keypad. Amy watched over his shoulder as messages began popping up almost as soon as Sonic sent his first one. She smiled a little, noticing that they appeared to be color coded. After a few minutes, Sonic shoved his phone back into his jacket pocket. "'Kay, let's go." He grabbed Amy's hand and took off running.

Just like before, the speed was so great that it almost felt like teleportation. Amy's dress and quills ruffled and the campus blurred as Sonic pulled her down the road. For a brief moment, he glanced back over his shoulder and time seemed to slow just a bit—Amy felt her heart thumping in her chest at his reassuring smile. Suddenly, they were in front of the SLK dorm. Sonic let go of her hand and Amy missed the warmth. He gestured at the car.

"Just wait here. The others are on their way. I'm gonna grab the keys." He turned and jogged up the front steps, disappearing into the mansion. Amy, left alone with her thoughts, started to fret about poor Silver. She chewed a nail thoughtfully. In a way, it felt like her fault. If she had just listened to Rouge... and minded her own business... maybe Scourge would never have noticed her. Silver wouldn't have been kidnapped for whatever sick ransom the twisted rival frat had thought up. Amy's heart palpitated with guilt.

"So what's the deal? Silver got nabbed by those jerks at DED?" Amy looked up to see Knuckles jogging over, dreads bouncing. He stopped in front of her, panting, "Those guys are always up to no good."

Amy lowered her head in shame, "It's all my fault."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

Amy nodded, "It's because I told Scourge I wasn't interested in his party, or whatever he was inviting me to."

Knuckles scoffed, waving his hand, "Pah! That's not your fault! The guy's a friggin' creep."

Amy looked up at him with watery eyes, "You... you really think so?"

Knuckles ruffled her quills, "Duh!" The front door opened and closed; Sonic came bounding down the front stairs towards the car just as Shadow and Blaze walked up to the driveway. Sonic eyed them and frowned.

"Where's Espio?"

"We ran into him shortly after you texted," Shadow said. "He couldn't make it. Has work with that teacher of his." Blaze nodded in vague agreement. Sonic pursed his lips, squinting.

"Eh. He's not really any good in a fight, anyway."

"Fight?" Amy blurted. The group turned to her with matching expressions of confusion.

"Surely you didn't think it'd be as easy as just asking for Silver back?" Blaze asked levelly. Shadow chortled.

Amy thought—what _had _she expected? She suddenly felt sick. Were they going to brawl somewhere in the city? Should she really be involved with that?

Sonic stepped close to her and gently brushed his hand over her shoulder, "Ames? You wanna sit this out? We totally have it covered."

Amy swallowed thickly before setting her jaw, "N-no." She looked up, meeting each person's gaze with a resolute expression of her own, "Scourge is only doing this because of me. I want to take some responsibility for that. Plus," she fiddled with a loose thread on her sweater sleeve, "Silver doesn't deserve this. He's only ever been nice to me." When she lifted her head again, she was a tad embarrassed seeing how the others were looking at her with such warm expressions.

"Aw, Ames," Sonic teased, "you're growing into such a loyal, little college freshman!"

Amy blushed feverishly, "N-n-no, it's nothing..."

"_Anyway_," Shadow growled, "let's go get our albino idiot back."

* * *

With two less people in the car, Chaos Control was a lot roomier. Amy sat in the back driver's side, with Blaze next to her and Knuckles on the other side. Sonic drove while Shadow flicked through a map app on his cell phone.

"You can try Lombard... There's kind of an alley there behind the dim sum place... With all those fire escape railings..."

"Focus, Shadow!" Sonic snapped, changing lanes as fast as he could. Shadow's mouth grew taut.

"Okaaayy..." the black hedgehog drawled, raising his eyebrows. "You know what, just head over to the industrial district, behind that storage lot. I have a feeling."

"'I have a feeling!'" Sonic grumbled in a mocking tone. Shadow exhaled loudly. Amy looked over at Blaze, who was sinking down into the collar of her sweatshirt and hiding her face with a hand. She was groaning under her breath. Eventually, Sonic managed to navigate them to the location Shadow had suggested. Chills broke out over Amy's skin as they descended a particularly sloping street, into the depths of the city's bowels. Even the sky seemed to grow grayer as they went deeper into the industrial area.

"Here's good," Shadow said. He pointed at a corner obscured by broken chain link fencing and ivy, "That's the place I was talking about. Let's go." Sonic put the car in park and they all bumbled out, shaking any limbs that had fallen asleep. Sonic gestured for everyone to be quiet and they began their cautious trek through the shadows of the tall brick buildings that surrounded them on every side. Knuckles, being the tallest, herded up the back, keeping his eye out for any potential ambushes coming from above.

Amy grit her teeth, drinking in the surroundings with a wary eye. The ground was littered with old plastic cups, cigarette butts and decay from the ivy that was crawling over everything. She sank into herself, hoping that—where ever they found him—Silver would be all right and there would be no need for a serious fight. Idly, she wondered if she could actually take anyone in a fight.

"Look! Over there!" Sonic suddenly swatted Shadow's arm, causing the black hedgehog to growl softly. Amy followed Sonic's pointing hand to the end of the alley, where a dirty, frazzled white lump was resting against the wall under an overhang. "Silver!" Sonic shouted at the lump, "Buddy!"

The lump shifted to reveal ridiculous-shaped quills—it was, indeed, the albino hedgehog. He was completely tied up in dirty rope and covered in bruises. As they got closer, they realized his jacket was torn as well. His ears twitched at Sonic's shout and he sat up, opening bloodshot eyes. When he noticed them, he started struggling at the ropes, flailing like a fish out of water.

"He's got a gag on," Shadow murmured. He crouched down to rip the duct tape off. Silver cringed away, bobbling side to side as he violently shook his head. He nearly fell over from the motion before Shadow got a hold of his shoulder and steadied him.

"What's his _deal_?" Knuckles huffed.

"Mmf mh mmb!" Silver made a wild motion with his head over his shoulder.

"What?" Sonic asked, scratching behind an ear.

"MMF. MH. MMB!" Silver emphasized each sound by kicking the heels of his boots against the pavement.

"I've had enough of this." Shadow pulled the duct tape away in one swift motion. Silver shrieked. Knuckles laughed boisterously.

"There's a bomb!" Silver gasped out.

"What?"

A _whumpf!_ sounded from behind Silver, knocking him forward against his knees. A thick cloud of smoke bloomed from his back, where a rickety package of old cardboard, ziploc bags and duct tape had blown out in one corner. The cloud enveloped the group of friends slowly and they all coughed.

"What is that _smell_?" Amy held the collar of her dress over her nose, grimacing at the sour, pungent odor that filled the alley.

Silver coughed and gasped, having experienced the brunt of the explosion, "It's weed...We're all gonna... get... friggin' high..." Shadow rubbed his eyes to clear the smoke out of them and examined the tape in his hand. There was a small cord running off it and he followed it with his free hand. It was attached to some sort of switch which, in turn, rounded back up to the package tied to Silver's back. A piece of paper was tucked into the rope. He pulled it out and smoothed it against his thigh. All that was written on it, in ugly green marker, was a single word.

_Gotcha._

"Hey," they all turned to Knuckles, who was staring at the sky, pondering. "Do you think birds know they're flying, or is it like... like walking? Walking with your arms? In the sky?"

"Dude," Sonic spoke, so much calmer than he normally would. "Dude what if... there's like a... a _me..._ but he's a bird?"

Shadow leaned back on his heels, "I can't... I can't believe this is happening..." He busied himself with untying Silver. When he was finished, the albino moved to his feet shakily, giggling. He stumbled over to Blaze, who seemed mostly unperturbed by the foul fumes. He tossed a lazy arm over her shoulder and grinned widely.

"Hey... hey Blaze," he shook her a little. She grimaced. He laughed, "_Blaze it_." She stiffened as Silver absolutely lost control, cackling madly. Sonic and Knuckles followed suit after, joining in the cacophony of mirth.

Amy felt... strange. It felt like there were champagne bubbles tingling all over her skin and one really big one right beneath her, keeping her floating just a little bit over the ground. She stared at her hands, wondering why they seemed so far away... and too close all at once. Silver's terrible joke played over and over in her ears. She looked up—at no one in particular—and whispered, "'Blaze it'? What does that mean?" She looked down at Shadow, who had gone very still and was staring at the ground. The others were still laughing. "Shadow? Shadow, what does 'blaze it' mean?" Shadow's ears twitched. His head lifted slowly and he turned to look at Blaze, who was unamused. Suddenly, a chilling smile curled over his lips.

"'Blaze it'?" He scoffed. The scoff turned into a chuckling exclamation, "'_Blaze it_'?" Suddenly he started laughing louder than the rest of them, "BLAZE IT!" His laughing seemed to shake the leaves of the ivy on the building beside them. Amy's brows knit together in confusion. He didn't really explain anything—he just said the same thing over and over. Amy pushed her lower lip out, pouting.

Blaze shoved Silver off her, sending him barreling into Knuckles, who happily caught him as they continued laughing about his silly joke. The purple feline narrowed her eyes at the others, especially Shadow, before gesturing back to alley entrance. "I think... I think we should head back to the car."

"Oh yeah," Amy nodded emphatically, "I have homework to do today." She giggled, "Ha! Homework... it's math homework." She tripped and skidded over her own feet as she followed the SLK members back up the alley in their sloppy formation. Knuckles had an arm over both Sonic and Silver's shoulders as they laughed and started singing a very discordant rendition of "I Gotta Feeling". Shadow bumbled up to Blaze, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind and just mumbling 'blaze it' over and over between giggles. Blaze was struggling under his weight and she growled when he nearly lost his balance and used her for something to hold himself up.

When they made it back to the car, Knuckles had just started singing the theme song to _Pirates of the Caribbean._ Blaze opened the door and guided Shadow into the back seat, then pointed at the trio of intoxicated boys who were left, "Okay... you guys _have_ to figure something out between you... Amy's sitting up front with me. I'm driving."

Sonic's head snapped up, "_You're_ driving? Nah, man... It's... It's _my turn_." His face crumpled and he whined, "You guys _never_ let me drive on my turn..." Blaze stalked over to him and yanked the keys out of his hand.

"Give me that." She walked behind the boys and started shuffling them into the back seat. After making sure Silver was comfortable resting across _all _their laps, Blaze smiled at Amy and extended her arm towards the passenger side. "For you, since you're probably the most uh... _distressed_... out of all of us."

Amy tittered happily, "Oh _my_... Oh my, being treated so nicely... by a _princess_! Blaze!" She threw her arms around the cat, much to Blaze's chagrin. "Blaze you're like... like the _best friend_... ever! Oh my goodness!" Blaze settled Amy into the seat and buckled her in, nodding as Amy continued to praise her. After closing the passenger door, Blaze sat in the driver's seat and stared at the steering wheel. Her head began to droop.

"Ugh, _Blazeyyyyy_..." Sonic whined, his head lolling about, "Blazey, you're not even _driving_..."

"I know," Blaze snapped. "I'm just trying to decide if I should call Espio... or not..."

"No!" Knuckles leaned forward, almost causing Silver to fall between the seats. "That guy's such a _drag..._ No, let's go to Lenny's!"

Blaze groaned, "No... We _always_ go there... We _just _went there..." she frowned before throwing her hands up, "We just went there sometime!"

"Uh, duh!" Knuckles jeered, "That's 'cause it's great."

"I don't want to."

"It's _karaoke _night!"

"Ooh! Karaoke!" Amy perked up, "I've always wanted to go to a karaoke bar!"

Blaze grimaced, "Why? …Anyway, you can't. You're underage."

"Wait!" Sonic's head snapped up again, "Gordon's working bouncer tonight! Gordon doesn't care who goes in as long as they don't drink!"

"Yeah," Shadow piped up, uncharacteristically enthusiastic, "Gordon doesn't give a—"

"OKAY!" Blaze interrupted. "I guess I am on my way to _Lenny's_ then." She started the car and began the long process of finding their way out of the industrial district. Amy had a feeling it was going to take a long time.

* * *

"Wow," a massive doberman standing in front of the Lenny's bar entrance observed the very—_very—_high group of young adults giggling and peering up at him. "You kids been getting into some kind of trouble?"

"You could say that," Blaze blinked slowly. "Rival dorm shen... shnannan... shenani—"

"Yeah, don't hurt yourself." The doberman noticed Amy and flicked his head at her, "So who's the new girl? Pledge?"

Blaze shrugged, "Sort of. She promises not to drink though."

He raised his eyebrows, "Ohh... I see." A blinding smile bloomed on his face and he shifted his weight to smolder at Blaze, "So. What do I get out of it? You free tomorrow?"

"Okay," Shadow shoved the others aside, standing in front of Blaze almost protectively, "I," he pointed at the door, "have to use the bathroom. Now. Immediately. I will totally urinate all over these plants over here... So are you going to let us in or not?" The doberman straightened up, hands raised defensively.

"Okay, okay. I can take a hint. You ladies and gentlemen have a pleasant evening in probably the _least_ bar-y bar in all of Station Square."

"Will do," Blaze smirked, and they filed in.

Amy, who was feeling slightly less bubbly and more just relaxed and pleasant, took in her surroundings with curious eyes. Being only twenty, it was her first time in anything closely resembling a bar. There weren't many patrons, although that was probably due to what the bouncer had noted before.

The lighting—which was a somehow-enjoyable mix of pink, white and blue—was very dim, doing little to illuminate the long, shiny bar on one side of the room. The rest of the space was taken up by black booths and dark, wooden tables. Towards the front was a semi-circular stage occupying a large screen and flanked by two intimidating, monolithic speakers. There was a small stand in the half circle, which held a group of microphones, an album (which Amy assumed held the song listings), and a remote for inputting the song codes.

They chose a table right in front of the stage, each of them plopping down and stretching out in the old chairs. A squirrel waitress sauntered over, smiling at each of them, "What can I get you?" Blaze's head rolled back and she lifted her hands to signal a number.

"Six ice waters."

The waitress looked a little confused, "Will that be all?"

"For now."

After the waitress left, Silver stretched and jumped up. He looked around at his friends with a wild grin, "So? Are we gonna sing or what?"

"You take the first round, Silvs," Sonic said. "I'm still... trying to get my bearings... Feel like I'm still in the car."

The white hedgehog nodded before stepping up onto the stage and flipping through the song book. His expression shifted as he studied the different titles. Suddenly, he smiled brightly and glanced up, meeting Amy's eyes with a mischievous twinkle. She tilted her head. He smiled wider, biting the tip of his tongue to keep from laughing too much. Swapping the book for the remote, he tapped in a code and swiped one of the microphones from the stand before turning around as the lights in the room dimmed even further. A single spotlight illuminated him.

Pop strings played and the screen shifted to a pink background. A bubbly drum beat kicked in and Amy noticed the lyrics sliding across the screen. She covered her mouth, trying to choke back laughter. Silver threw his head to the side, keeping the mic close to his lips as he began his exaggerated performance.

_"I threw a wish in the well! Don't ask me I'll never tell! I looked at you as it fell, and now you're in my way!" _Silver sashayed back and forth across the small stage, gesticulating wildly at an invisible audience. He caught Amy's eye and winked before falling to his knees in a flourish, singing the catchy pop tune as if it were his own work. The others at the table perked up at the familiar song and were riant and raucous in a matter of moments. Knuckles cheered, pumping his fists into the air while Sonic and Shadow were shouting backing vocals completely off-key. Silver thrashed as the chorus came in, "_Hey, I just met you... and this is crazy... but here's my number! So call me, maybe!"_

* * *

After the guys and Amy had taken turns (Blaze declined, shaking her head and sipping her water delicately), Silver beckoned Sonic and Knuckles to form a secretive huddle on-stage. Amy grew nervous when they kept peeking at her, smiling ear to ear and making devious motions with their hands. Finally, they broke apart and each picked up a microphone. Sonic pressed the code on the remote and then stood on one side, while Silver stood on the other and Knuckles stood in the middle.

Amy waited with bated breath.

Causing both Shadow and Blaze to jolt, extremely loud sixties pop music blared over the speakers. The trio on stage swayed their hips in time with the beat, each raising an arm and turning around as the opening lines formed on-screen.

"_Ohhhh! Sugar pie, honey bunch... You know that I love you!_"

Blaze buried her face in her hands, muttering, "Oh they are _not_!" Shadow's cheeks flushed—from the high or the embarrassment, Amy couldn't tell. The performing boys continued their retro dance, faces glowing.

"_I can't help myself! I love you and nobody else..." _Knuckles backed up to let Silver and Sonic kneel in front him, lifting their hands to the ceiling with their soulful back up vocals. They began trading off the lead, each acting out the lyrics through very sloppy interpretive motions. When it got to be Sonic's turn, he threw himself on the table—which had been pulled close earlier for Shadow to rest a foot on for his rendition of "Holy Diver"—in front of Amy, causing the younger girl to turn beet red. The music reached a tense climax and he crawled towards her on hands and knees.

"_When I call your name, girl, it starts to flame._" He flopped onto his back, closing his eyes and pressing his free hand to his chest, "_Burning in my heart, tearing it all apart._" He kicked his feet into the air before rolling over again to move so close to Amy's face that she thought her heart might stop. He smirked, "_No matter how I try, my love I cannot hide. 'Cause..." _He jumped back onstage to finish out the song with Knuckles and Silver. They all drew their arms across their body, swaying with over-dramatic feeling.

"_Sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that I love you! I can't help myself. No, I can't help myself..._" They all ended with a wink. Shadow burst out laughing at the cutesy expression on Knuckles' overly-masculine body. Silver beamed. Sonic looked sidelong at Amy, winking at her when their eyes met. Her heart and stomach fluttered and twisted in her core. The high was finally wearing off. Amy began to piece together the events of the afternoon with a growing horror. Worried, she checked her phone for the time.

It was after midnight.

Almost as though it was on queue, her phone rang.

It was Rouge.


	9. Provocation, Pajamas, and a Panty Raid

**Welcome back to this wild ride, my dears! Hope you all had a good weekend! I'm still working on balancing my life so I can get a more strict update schedule, but we'll see.**

_Lost and Forgotten Memories: I'm glad you liked it! :D_

_Mossy: Thank you! Yeah, it really has been a long time. I'm glad to be back though._

_Fairlyoddme: Aww, that's sweet of you to say! I hope you continue to enjoy!_

**Let me know if you have any funny scenarios you'd like to see played out-this is a big story so I'm sure I can stick 'em somewhere. Also, please tell me if you see any glaring mistakes. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

9: Provocation, Pajamas, and a Panty-Raid of Two Kinds

Amy felt sick the whole ride back to campus. When Rouge had called, she panicked and pressed "Ignore Call" before she could stop herself. Shortly after, Sonic got a call from Espio, who was also worried about the whereabouts of his friends, considering they had originally left to confront Scourge and the other members of DED. They all had exchanged nervous glances before filing out of the Lenny's bar and squeezing into Chaos Control, somber as funeral attendees.

Blaze noticed Amy biting her nails and reached over to pat her shoulder, "I'm sure your friend will understand. You have known her for a long time, right?"

Amy sighed, "I'm not so sure. I feel like we've been tiptoeing around each other ever since our fight about you guys... and now, if she finds out I've been lying to her..." The emotions Amy had been holding back ever since she started to sober up spilled over in a flood of tears. She held her hands over her eyes and sobbed. Blaze bit her lower lip and turned to Shadow, who only shrugged. Sonic glanced at Amy through the rear view mirror.

"Don't worry, Ames! You can just say we kidnapped you!"

"But," Amy hiccuped, "then she'll hate you guys even _more_..." she trailed off in a wail. The others were silent as they pulled onto the campus road. Silver scratched his quills morosely.

"I'm sorry, Amy... This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gotten taken by DED."

Amy's tears switched off like a faucet, "What! No! It's not your fault!"

He smiled sadly.

"Oh... _shoot_," Sonic muttered from the driver's seat. The passengers all looked out the windshield, where Rouge and Espio both stood in the middle of the street in front of GNO, arms crossed. Amy shrank down in her seat at Rouge's expression—she looked furious. The car slowed to a stop and they climbed out, Sonic smiling sheepishly at Espio, who only blinked vacantly. Amy slid out of the car last, head hanging in shame. Rouge rushed at her, stomping up the cobblestone and hair flipping with the speed of it.

"_Where_ on Mobius have you _been_? I've been looking for you all over campus!" She paused and inhaled, "What is that smell? That smells like pot... AMY ROSE!"

Amy burst into tears again, "Rouge, I'm _sorry_..."

"Sorry for what? Completely ignoring my warnings about," she shot the others a venomous look, "_them_? Or for disappearing multiple times in only a couple weeks, letting me think you were lost somewhere, or _dead_? Or for going out with the school outcasts and getting freaking _high_? Getting high with strangers, Amy! What were you thinking? Are you stupid?"

"N-no..." Amy burbled. She had flinched throughout Rouge's tirade, but was getting a little fed up with her friend continuously referring to the members of SLK as if they were monsters. She started to wipe her eyes and quell her sniffles.

Sonic perked up at the insult and stepped in, "H-hey now... is it really necessary to say it like that?" The rest of SLK surrounded him almost protectively.

Rouge whirled on him, jabbing an accusatory finger in his face, "Stay out of this! It's your fault for taking advantage of an innocent freshman! Who said you could just pull her into whatever sick world you live in?"

Sonic frowned, "Listen, I don't know where you got your information about us, but don't you think it's a little much to assume like that?"

"I've heard from reliable-enough sources. You're just a bunch of slackers who like to screw with everyone else at Linehardt. Well, pay attention: stay away from Amy. She doesn't need fools like you ruining her college experience!"

Sonic grimaced, "You know, normally, we wouldn't care about this... but since you're Amy's friend, I thought we'd try to explain..."

"That's right!" Rouge stood in front of Amy, "I _am_ her friend. I think _I'm_ the one who knows what's best for her!"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone went silent and turned to Amy. She was trembling. She shook her head vehemently, "Stop it. I don't want anyone to fight like this." Rouge and Sonic glared at each other before taking a step back. Amy held the hem of her dress, wrinkling it anxiously. She looked up at Rouge, "Rouge... I really _am _sorry that I stayed out without letting you know... _again_." Rouge opened her mouth to interrupt but Amy pressed on, "That doesn't give you the right to be so rude to them though!"

Rouge blinked, "What?"

Amy gestured at SLK, "Don't be rude to them! They're my friends too! I know you said to stay away from them but... I don't _want_ to. I'm an adult, Rouge! I'm not even a teenager; I'm twenty years old! I'm old enough to make my own decisions, especially about stupid stuff like who I hang out with." She glanced over at Sonic. He smiled gently. Amy swallowed the rest of her anxiety and looked Rouge in the eyes, "Rouge, I have a confession to make."

The white bat raised her eyebrows haughtily, "Oh, like that wasn't already a confession?"

"I've been lying to you!"

Rouge's ears drooped, "W-what?"

Amy nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, "Remember at the start of the week? I uh... I came back without my books and after that I told you I had left them in the classroom to go easier on my back? And all sorts of other stupid excuses..." She opened wet eyes, "I lied. The truth is... That day I got into a bit of an accident... and all my books got destroyed. I've been studying with SLK while they save up to pay off my books and replace them. I'm so sorry."

Silence pulled the street into its grasp. Amy stared at Rouge, who had wilted, all her forceful talk and bravado blown away by Amy's confession. Eventually, Rouge looked up from staring at her shoes, face cautious, "Why are they paying for your books?"

Silver stepped forward, "Uh, actually... it was kind of my fault that they got destroyed in the first place." He gestured at the car, "It's... kind of my fault that she was out all day today too." He smiled, a pink dusting of embarrassment on his cheeks. Rouge looked him up and down.

"I see..."

Amy moved closer to Rouge, brushing a hand over her elbow, "It'll all be dealt with soon enough, Rouge, I promise. I just... I wish I would've trusted you and told you _then,_ instead of lying about it."

Rouge's teal eyes flicked up, "Well... I'm glad you learned your lesson." She observed the others, who were starting to get restless and were placing old gum wrappers on the fallen-asleep Espio. "I guess... I don't mind so much, you hanging out with them. As _long_ as it's for your books, Amy."

Amy shuddered a little, "Yeah... I can live with that, I guess."

Rouge extended a hand towards Sonic, "No hard feelings, honey?"

Sonic shook her hand, a mischievous glint in his eye, "You know I'm the same age as you, right 'honey'?"

Rouge wrinkled her nose and turned to Amy, "Anyway... I think it's time to head up. We're starting to get ugly looks from the windows."

Amy felt warmth build in her chest.

_Good... she's not too upset._

"Sure thing, Rouge." She turned to the residents of SLK and waved, "Goodnight, guys!"

They watched as the pair ascended the front steps, smiling and waving after them.

* * *

Surprisingly, almost two weeks passed with no extraordinary events. Rouge had been a little more distant to Amy, but she figured she deserved it after the lies. Instead of returning to her dorm in the afternoon, Amy took to hanging out with SLK after class. They'd drive to Lenny's for lunch, or go out to the mall, or just stay in and study and play video games. She wondered why they hadn't retaliated against DED—she even asked Espio when they were alone in the kitchen together. He had plated up the sliced apples—shaped like tiny rabbits—and handed them to her before glancing at the others in the rec room.

"There's really no need," he had murmured. "That's not to say that we won't get revenge at some point, though." Amy followed his line of sight to where the four other boys were battling each other on some military game. When she looked back, Espio had vanished.

* * *

March thirty-first. When Amy arrived to her literature class, Blaze was smirking and curling her tail back and forth while reading. Amy plopped down, smiling from Blaze's infectious expression.

"You look awfully happy today, Blaze!"

Blaze turned and smiled wider, "Listen. How would you like to spend the night tonight? As like a... _study group_ sort of thing?"

Excitement boiled up in Amy's veins. A slumber party! "Of course," she replied. "I'd love to!"

"Great," Blaze returned to her book and pushed her textbook towards Amy, "now read up on today's assignment."

* * *

Since she was spending the night, Amy returned to her dorm to pack a small duffel bag before heading over to Sigma Lambda Kappa. She left a note for Rouge, who was sleeping in, before leaving. When she arrived, the door was unlocked, same as always. She dropped her bag in a coat closet she had discovered under the stairs and began her search for Blaze. Sonic, Silver and Knuckles had gone on a fast-food run from the look of things; Chaos Control wasn't in the driveway and the mansion was completely silent.

Amy wondered if she was allowed upstairs. She didn't see why not, but then again... she had never gone up before. There wasn't any reason to, what with the size of the house. Biting her lip, she decided to risk it.

The stairs wound up one side of the house before curving and then following it up the other side. They were covered with very thick, very red, very soft carpet. There were countless doors and hallways it seemed. By the time Amy reached the top and final hallway, she was almost winded. She straightened from resting her hands on her knees and studied the different doors, noticing small details that seemed to denote whose room was whose. The first door had a sticker of blue trainers on it, the second a drawing of a pair of boxing gloves holding what looked like some kind of diamond. Amy walked down the hall, checking for any hit of someone being home. The third door had some kunai lodged in it, the fourth had a poorly-drawn pot leaf on it, crossed out with a blue marker and some sharp writing that read "stop saying I smoke pot knuckles!". Amy chuckled before continuing on to the end of the hall, where two rooms were next to each other. The last one set into the main wall had pictures of guns all over it and the last room, set into the next wall was a door that was simply painted purple. Amy's face lit up.

_That must be Blaze's room!_

Just as she reached the end of the hall, Shadow popped out of the door that was covered in guns. He looked as startled as his expressionless face could at seeing Amy in the hall.

"Oh. It's you."

"Hi Shadow," she said brightly. "Blaze invited me over for a sleep-over tonight!"

"Oh really," he said flatly. "That's... _cool_... I guess?"

Amy nodded, used to Shadow's bizarre personality after spending so much time at the SLK dorm. She pointed at the purple door, "Anyway, I'm gonna check if she's in there, if that's all right?"

Shadow shrugged, "Personally, I'd knock first but—"

It was too late; Amy, over-excited at the prospect of a slumber party, had forgotten to knock. She tried the handle and the door popped open.

Amy froze. Shadow swallowed thickly.

Blaze was standing next to her bed, bent over, wearing nothing but a loose band shirt and her underwear. It looked as though she was pulling on some black leggings, but hadn't had the chance to finish before being... _interrupted_. Her gold eyes were wide and unblinking, like a deer caught in the headlights of her open bedroom door.

"S-strawberry panties," Amy blurted. "C-c-cute." The door beside her slammed shut. Amy noticed Shadow had disappeared. She gulped, "S-sorry..."

Blaze's ears twitched. She waited a moment before finishing pulling on her pants. After straightening up, she called out of the room, "Shadow! It's okay! You can come out now!" Loud power metal blared from the black hedgehog's room. Blaze shrugged and beckoned Amy into her room. Amy shuffled in nervously.

"Sorry... I forgot to knock..."

"It doesn't matter all that much," Blaze said. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. I can't count the times I've seen too much of Sonic. The idiot's too lazy to take a towel to the bathroom when he showers."

Amy's mind was overrun with thoughts she'd rather not be having about a certain blue hedgehog. Her face flushed red and Blaze raised her eyebrows. Amy slapped her cheeks gently, "Whoo! I sure got warm on my way over here! It's probably showing in my cheeks, huh!" Blaze blinked and shrugged once more.

"We can study up here; it's a little quieter and I know the guys will be back soon. We can head down for dinner later."

Amy only nodded, still trying not to picture Sonic emerging from a steaming bathroom.

* * *

"Want a mug brownie?"

Amy started, blinking sleepily at her surroundings. She was on the couch in SLK's rec room. A marathon of old horror movies was playing on the TV. Espio was reading a historic romance novel in the overly-squishy lazy chair in the corner. Blaze was standing over her, holding two steaming mugs with forks in them.

"Just try it," Blaze shoved a mug that read "Knothole Hot-dog Eating Champion" into Amy's hand. As Amy pulled it close to her, Blaze added, "Oh and... don't let your face get too close to it."

Amy held it away from herself, "What?! Why?!"

"Because they are _void_ mug brownies," Espio remarked without looking up from his novel. Blaze calmly curled up on the other side of the couch, pulling her fork out of her mug and taking a bite. Amy cautiously tilted her own mug so she could peer inside. It was pitch black and the edges of the mug seemed to be blurring inwards. Amy held the mug a little closer to her nose for a few seconds. There was a strange energy emanating from it, tugging on her nose, cheeks and lips.

"Gonna lose your face like that," Blaze said.

"H-how...?" Amy asked.

"It's a recipe Shadow taught me."

"Oh."

A few quiet minutes passed. Blaze chuckled as a man on the TV had his arm ripped out by a monster. Rustling came from Espio turning pages in his book. Amy chewed thoughtfully. Suddenly, she noticed the house was far too quiet.

"Where are the others?"

Blaze tilted her ears for a moment, "Well, judging by the Breaking Benjamin I hear from upstairs, Shadow is still moping around in his room." Amy waited for her to elaborate on the whereabouts of Knuckles, Silver and Sonic, but she didn't.

"Okay," Amy prodded, "what about the others?"

"Tomorrow's April first," Espio cut in. "Sonic figured it was high time we teach DED a lesson."

Amy cocked her head, "H... how are they doing that?"

He set his book down in his lap and looked at the clock hanging on the wall, "Well, right about now they should be wrist-deep in underwear drawers."

Amy's brows knit together, "What?"

Blaze stretched out, pulling a blanket down off the couch back to cover herself, "Don't get too caught up in the details. I'm sure you'll find out tomorrow, anyway." She snuggled down into the blanket. Amy, wrapped in her own blanket that she had brought from home followed suit, mind running wild with questions. They soon fell asleep to B-movie soundtracks and Espio's quiet breathing.

* * *

The school was awash with rumors come morning. Amy walked to class with Blaze. They kept having to move out of the way for people running by, to and from the academics buildings. Students were checking their phones and laughing madly.

"What do you think is happening?" Amy looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of what was being sent from phone to phone.

Blaze's ears were folded back, "Oh, trust me... we're about to find out." They reached courtyard where the massive school fountain resided. There was a crowd around it. Blaze pulled her hood up and tucked her chin down, attempting to skirt around the back up of students and faculty. Amy stood on her tiptoes to see what all the fuss was about.

The fountain was absolutely plastered in boys' underwear, all shapes and sizes. Boxers, briefs, and everything in between. Amy saw a pair of loose boxers that were bright green with the initials "S.H." embroidered on them in red. It dawned on her.

"Blaze!" She hissed, swatting the cat's arm excitably, "Is that what they were doing last night? Stealing all of DED's underwear?"

Blaze grimaced, "...Yes."

Amy giggled, "Serves those jerks right! I had no idea Sonic had something _this_ funny planned."

"I wouldn't get too excited," Blaze pointed to the other side of the fountain, where Scourge and Jet were standing with their arms crossed, shaking their heads as they drank in the sight of their undergarments glued to the most public place on campus. Amy stared too long and Scourge caught her gaze. He bared his teeth in a chilling snarl before mouthing a threat.

"You. Are. So. Dead."  
Amy bit her lip and bowed her head before pulling Blaze to class.


	10. I'm a Capable Adult! Right?

**Another day, another post... sort of. I'm very, _very _excited for the coming chapters. I've been planning the Spring Break sequence for a long time, so I hope everyone has as much fun reading these chapters as I did writing them. I also went over the last chapter and fixed a lot of typos and awkward phrasing for easier reading.**

_Guest: I'm glad to be posting more as well! Thanks for the smiley! ^^_

**Anyway, on with the show! Have a good evening!**

* * *

10: I'm a Capable Adult! ...Right?

After the April Fool's underwear prank, time slipped by at record speed. Homework started piling on, effectively ending all the free time Amy and her new friends had to get into trouble. She had never been so tired in her whole life. She was so very exhausted that she completely forgot about her bizarre new relationship with Rouge... so tired she forgot about Scourge's looming threat...

So tired that she completely forgot about Spring Break.

The only reason she remembered was because she was busy studying with Blaze and Shadow on the Tuesday before break after classes. Her head pulsed as she tried to decode the physics homework sitting before her on the table. She tapped her pen, gritting her teeth. Blaze and Shadow were sharing headphones as usual. They ignored her fidgeting, waiting until she actually built up the nerve to ask for help.

"Amy!" Silver slammed a Mountain Dew down on the kitchen table, causing Amy to jump in her seat. Blaze and Shadow, who were both studying at the table as well, remained impassive. Silver bounced on his heels, grinning, "Amy, guess how many days are left!"

She frowned, "Left until what?"

Silver giggled, "Spring Break, silly! Don't worry—I'll tell you: just three! It starts Friday!"

Amy's heart dropped. Spring Break? How had she forgotten? It seemed like only yesterday she was begging the time gods to fast forward to vacation season. Her fur prickled at a revelation; she hadn't made any plans! She jumped to her feet, "Oh no!"

Silver cocked his head, "What? What's wrong? Don't you want to get a break from all this _work_?"

Shadow spoke without looking up from his notes, "Something tells me that's most certainly _not _the case."

Amy shoved a hand into her pocket, searching for her cell phone. She waved at the others, "I'll be right back. I'm gonna try calling my parents!" She swept through the kitchen and out the back door, dialing her mom's number. The tone rang a few times. Amy bit her lip in anticipation.

"Amy? Is that you sweetie?" It was her mom's voice.

"Thank goodness," Amy let out an exhale of relief. "Hi, Mom!"

She heard rustling on the other line, "Hi, honey! How are you enjoying college? You haven't sent us a text or _anything_ yet!"

"Sorry about that. I've been having a good time, still doing fine in all my classes. Listen, I was actually calling about next week..."

"Oh yes! Your father and I are going to be changing locations on Saturday!"

Amy rubbed her head, confused, "What? Changing locations?"

Her mother continued; she could almost see the orange hedgehog checking her nails, "Yeah, honey, didn't you get my email? We're touring East Mobius! We're heading to somewhere called," she turned to Amy's father in the background, "what was it dear? Spain?" She leaned back to her cell, "Spain, Rosy-Rose! Don't the humans have funny names for things?"

Amy slowly sank down to the floor, trying to ignore the looming feels of disappointment filling her core, "Ha, _Spain_... yeah, that is a funny name, Mom."

"Anyway, pumpkin, I have to go now. There's a street food cart right here and your father wants to try some crazy hot dog combination! Talk to you soon! Have fun at school! Ta-ta!" The line went dead. Amy, too shocked to react, simply allowed her arm to droop back to her side. She stared out over the back lawn, which faded away into the trees that lined the border of Linehardt's campus.

Her parents weren't going to be home for Break, which meant she couldn't go home either. If things were the way they were two months previous, she would have assumed that she could stay with Rouge for the week, but things had been icy with the bat ever since the pot incident. Amy briefly considered asking someone from SLK if she could spend the break with them, but if she knew them at all, they most likely already had plans.

_What am I whinging about? _Amy patted her cheeks, setting her brow in determination, _I'm an adult now. I'll figure this out by myself!_ She stood and dusted off the back of her jeans before slipping her phone back into her pocket. Then, she went back inside, optimistic that she'd come up with a plan to enjoy her break all on her own.

Silver bounded up to her when she came back into the kitchen, "So what'd they say, Amy? Is your family going to go on a _totally_ rad vacation? Are they going camping? I bet you're going to have so much fun!" He danced around the kitchen, beaming with delight at the different options.

Amy gave him a small, uncomfortable smile in reply, "Um... Actually, they're on vacation right now... and won't be back in time for Spring Break."

Silver stopped his over-eager celebration, "Vacation? Oh no, Amy... What are you going to do? Do you need somewhere to stay?"

Blaze walked by, grabbing a juice box from the fridge, "You can always come with us. I'm sure Vector won't mind us showing up with an extra face. Heck," she sucked the juice box down in one gulp and tossed it into the garbage can, "he probably won't even notice."

Amy shook her head, "No, that's fine. I'm sure Rouge and I can figure something out." She stooped to gather her things into her (new) backpack. "I'm actually gonna head back; I've got to clean my dorm and stuff."

"You sure?" Shadow finally looked up, his eyes just the smallest bit concerned, "We haven't gone over your math work yet."

She was already almost out the door, "Nah, I'm good! It's not due till Friday!" The front door slammed and she was gone.

The others looked at each other with nervous expressions.

* * *

"Spring Break? I thought you would have made plans with your parents ages ago." Rouge was flitting about the room, pulling papers and books together and looking for a missing sock. She tugged it from underneath her desk and pulled it on. She looked back at Amy, pushing out a pouty lower lip, "Sorry. I would have reserved another ticket for you if I knew you didn't have plans." Amy fell back on her bed, kicking her feet into the air with an exaggerated sigh.

"Dang it..." She popped back up, looking at Rouge hopefully, "Can't you get one now?"

The bat shook her head, "They're all full up, sweetie. Heck," she stood, pulling her backpack over her shoulder, "_I_ could barely get my hands on one, and you know how I am with... getting things." Amy rolled over and buried her face into her pillows.

"A cruise sounds so _nice_... ugh, I wish I'd been paying attention."

Rouge shrugged on her way out the door, "There's always summer. Sorry again, hope you figure something out."

Amy sat up after Rouge had gone, looking at the doorway sadly. Normally, Rouge would have reserved a pair of ticket and convinced Amy to go along with her on whatever crazy adventure she had planned. Was this the price of her "adulthood" speech? She fell back on her bed again and kicked her shoes off.

"I'm such an _idiot_ sometimes!"

* * *

Amy continued to fret as the week passed. She tried bringing her dilemma up to Sally and Tikal in the library, but Tikal only gushed about how excited she was that her dad was taking her on an ancient history tour in the southeast. Sally had narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow before asking why Amy didn't just tag along with Sigma Lambda Kappa, since she seemed so close to them these days. That had caused Amy to change the subject and escape. On Friday, Knuckles nudged Amy in the middle of Global History.

"Hey."

She looked up at him, dark circles clouding under her eyes.

"You've looked... kind of upset lately, Amy. Is something wrong?"

"Oh," she snapped out of her blurry thoughts, "No... I'm just thinking about what to do for Spring Break." She leaned back in her seat, rubbing her eyes drowsily. Knuckles rubbed his chin.

"Aren't you hanging out with your roommate? That's what Silver said."

"No, she uh," Amy looked away, embarrassed, "she already has plans. Like my parents." Noticing Knuckles' troubled frown, she quickly waved a hand, "Don't worry about it! I figure I can just use the time to get ahead in all my subjects. Then maybe Shadow won't want to kill me over equations." She chuckled before resting her forehead on her arms.

"Oh... okay." Knuckles didn't exactly buy her happy-go-lucky facade, but it wasn't any of his business. He listened to her whimper in her sleep and patted her head with a large hand. Still, even if her problems weren't any of his business, it couldn't hurt to text Sonic about it.

* * *

It was a dazzling sort of afternoon. The sun shined across the city, causing the skyscraper windows to twinkle like daytime stars. The fountain in the courtyard of Linehardt—underwear carefully removed by the campus staff—glistened invitingly with its bright cerulean water. The school was awash with activity. Students were rushing in every direction: turning in last-minute assignments, grabbing a snack from the cafeteria, or stowing their luggage away and driving off in great hordes, ready to celebrate the first break of the school year.

Amy stuck her tongue out at nobody in particular, glaring at all the soon-to-be fun-havers. She hadn't succeeded in securing a place to go and she wasn't looking forward to spending a week alone in an empty dorm. Sighing, she began to trudge back to her dorm, figuring that SLK would already be heading out by the time she reached the end of the road.

"Excuse me, Amy?"

She turned, curious as to who would be talking to her at _this_ particular time. It was Espio. He was holding out a cell phone to her.

"Sonic apparently doesn't have your phone number," the chameleon explained. "This is a text from him for you, since we share the last class of the day together."

"Oh," Amy blinked, "thanks." Espio nodded. Amy took the cell phone gingerly, careful not to press anything on the screen without reading it first. She tapped the text notification.

-_so... ames... your room is the last one in the hall right?_

The thought took a moment to sink in, when she realized that the older boy was most likely going through her room (or worse, someone _else's_ room), she quickly typed a reply.

-_Sonic! What are you doing in my dorm?!_

The phone buzzed after a few moments, _what? it's not me, it's blaze and shadow_

Worse. It was worse. _Why? Get out of there, you guys are gonna get me in trouble!_

_ -haha nah, they're coming back now. _

She chewed a nail fretfully. Why had they been there in the first place? The phone buzzed before she could reply.

-s_hadow says you wear some pretty racy underwear ;)_

_ -oh, nevermind, he said that was your roommate's dresser. blaze just smacked him_

_ -sisdjcd_

_ -she just smacked me too. anyway, tell espio to hurry up and bring you back here. we have to get this show on the road!_

Amy handed the phone back to Espio, trembling, "He says to take me over to your dorm? I-I... I don't know why though... Why were Blaze and Shadow in my room?"

He narrowed his eyes, "Well... packing for you, I think, since Vector can be kind of impatient."

"Packing?"

"Yes. Now, please excuse me." Espio darted forward, picking Amy up in a princess hold. She blanched.

"Wha—Why?"

"Because this is the quickest way back." He secured his hold on her one final time, then darted down the street. The wind whipped by, tugging on their clothes. Amy felt that it wasn't quite as nice as being pulled by Sonic, even though she _did _feel more secure being held and not dragged.

They arrived at the end of the road in just over a minute. Espio set Amy down gently, disappearing into the house before she could say anything. She studied the yard, noticing a massive van parked in the driveway next to Chaos Control. A pile of bags were on the lawn. Knuckles was picking a couple of the up at a time and placing them in the back of the van. Silver and Sonic where wrestling in the yard, their letter jackets discarded and their quills full of grass blades. Suddenly, a large hand clamped down on Amy's shoulder. She squeaked and looked up.

It was a huge crocodile. He was wearing headphones and a massive, gold, chain necklace. He grinned warmly, "So! You must be Amy Rose!"

Amy gulped, "Y-yes... that's me... who...are you?"

The crocodile's head snapped up in the direction of Sonic, "Hey, Sonic! You didn't tell her about me? I'm hurt!"

Sonic paused his wrestle with Silver, "Huh?" Silver seized the opportunity of his distracted opponent and tackled him, causing him to disappear with a cry of "oof!" and a fresh eruption of grass blades. Their sneakers appeared over the hedge that lined the yard, kicking back and forth while they shot playful insults at each other. Shadow and Blaze exited the mansion, holding their suitcases and looking at the pair of fools on the lawn disdainfully. They approached Amy and crocodile.

"What's up, Vector?" Shadow and the crocodile, who Amy realized was the 'Vector' that Blaze mentioned earlier in the week, exchanged a slick handshake.

Vector bellowed, "Good to see you, Shadow! Blaze, too!" Shadow nodded while Blaze flicked her chin up in silent greeting. Vector waved a hand in the direction of Sonic and Silver, "See these dorks haven't changed. Still nothing but a bunch of kids around here. Except," he leaned down to attempt to whisper in Shadow's ear, "I saw this cute bat leaving the sorority across the street. Whooo, you should've seen what she was wearing!" Shadow rolled his eyes.

Silver shoved Sonic off him with his telekinesis and popped up, "Ew! You shouldn't talk about ladies like that, Vector!"

Sonic burst out laughing, despite being lodged in the pile of luggage, "As if, Silver! This coming from the guy who has a Hatsune Miku body pillow!"

Silver turned pink and laid back down on the grass, disappearing from Amy's view.

"I meant her jewelry!" Vector snapped. "Anyway," he slapped his hands together, "get the rest of this gear in the van! We've got a long drive ahead of us and I want to beat traffic!" He smiled at Amy again, "I know you're gonna have a great time in Knothole! You couldn't have picked a better group of brats to stay with!" He stalked off to join Knuckles in loading the van up. They dumped Sonic unceremoniously in the grass and laughed when he landed on his face. He spat out the grass in his mouth, then sped down to stand in front of Amy, grinning wildly.

"So? Are you happy?"

She looked around, dazed and touched, "You... you really want me to come with you guys?"

He ruffled her quills, "Duh! We wouldn't have infiltrated your dorm if we didn't really want you to see our hometown! Well, mine anyway."

Heart fluttering, Amy's eyes filled with tears, "I'm... I'm so lucky!" She covered her face with her hands, "You guys spoil me!"

Shadow sighed, "Why are you crying _now_?"

The pink hedgehog wiped her eyes, "I just... don't wanna take you guys for granted!"

Blaze smirked, "Then pay us back by having a good time."

Amy nodded emphatically, "I will! I will!"

"Okay!" Vector boomed as he climbed into the driver's seat, "choose your seats! I wanna make it back to Knothole while I'm still young!"

"Pfft!" Silver squeaked with laughter, "You're already old enough to be a _grandpa_!"

Vector frowned, "I'm twenty-five, you albino menace! Get in the car!"

Shadow and Blaze yanked open the side panel and crawled to the seats farthest in the back. Espio chose the middle seat, hoping to take a nap. Knuckles chose the front passenger's seat, which left Amy to be pulled in between Sonic and Silver in the row behind the driver's seat. Silver bounced excitedly.

"You got the playlist I sent you, right Vector?" He leaned forward to paw at the stereo controls.

Vector slapped his hand away, _tsk_ing, "Back off! If you wanted to control the music, you should've ridden shotgun!" Knuckles turned around, waving his mp3 player in a taunting manner. Silver growled.

"Noooo, you only wanna listen to like, old people music!"

Knuckles frowned, "I'm a _year_ older than you, dude."

Silver blew a raspberry at the echidna, "Yeah! That's saying something!"

Knuckles rolled his eyes, "Okay... I'll throw some techno in for you, ya big baby!" He turned around and began tapping furiously at the screen of the player. Amy looked to her left and right, happy that she got to sit next to Sonic, but a little claustrophobic sitting between him _and_ Silver. She hoped they wouldn't get too hyper on the drive. Vector rolled the windows down to let the breeze in. She inhaled, sensing that same feeling of fate that blew by on the breeze on the first day of school. An electric feeling pulsed through her as the van rolled out onto the street and the journey began.

Sonic tapped her shoulder, "Hey."

Amy turned to him, green eyes shining, "Yeah?"

He smiled, "You don't have to hold back so much, you know?"

Her expression faltered, "What do you mean?"

"If you need something to do or someone to hang out with," he flashed her a smirk, "we're pretty much _always_ available. And we don't hate you, so just call us up."

That smirk made her tongue feel numb, "I... I don't have your phone number." When did he get so close?

"Well, here." He snaked a hand over her to reach into her cardigan pocket and pull out her cell. He opened it and tapped her contacts button. "This way you can contact me whenever you want." He entered the information and tucked her phone into her hand. "Text me sometime, 'kay?" With a wink, he pulled away from her and leaned back in his seat just as music started blaring through the van.

"Oh come _on_!" Silver shouted over the noisy drum beat, "Knuckles! Play some _real _techno!"

_Vector was right_, Amy thought. _The ride _is_ going to be long._


	11. Spring Break I

**I'm not super happy with this chapter. I couldn't place my finger on _why_ it bothered me, though. It seemed boring, but I couldn't tell how. It seemed wordy, but I couldn't tell what to cut. Eh, sometimes you just have lemons.**

_Re-Harakhty: Sorry I missed your review last time. I think I hit "publish" right when you submitted. Good to see a familiar name again, and I'm happy you're liking the story! :D_

_SAOMNYIC: Glad you liked it! ^0^ Thanks for reviewing!_

**I may be working on a new Shadaze, as I dearly miss my favorite couple. It's still in the brainstorming phase though, so we'll see how that goes. Anyway, on with the story! Have a good evening!**

* * *

11: Spring Break I: Long Drives and Loud Songs

The flat fields of the countryside stretched out in every direction from the highway. Amy breathed in deeply for the umpteenth time, relishing the fresh air and sun. Silver had long since stopped complaining about Knuckles' music choice, which was mostly caused by Shadow reaching across the seat to smack him in the back of the head. Espio was finally awake, leaning against the window and watching for sheep out in the fields. Shadow and Blaze had moved up into the middle seat, feeling more sociable now that they'd been on the road for a while.

"Knuckles," Silver drawled, tapping his foot against the back of the passenger seat, "play something fun."

"What kind of fun?" Knuckles asked flatly. His thumb was already hovering over the playlist titles on his mp3 player.

"Something we can sing to! You gotta sing on road trips!"

Knuckles' brows knit and he scrolled faster, "Um.. okay, let's try this." A loud guitar riff galloped through the vehicle, rousing the relaxed passengers. For once, a wide grin spread across Silver's face.

"Yes! Perfect!"

The drums kicked in and Amy perked up, "Hey, I know this song!"

"Then you can sing it!" Silver started flailing to the music. The others all mumbled their pleasure at the song choice. In a matter of moments, a chorus of voices rattled along with the radio.

"_Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk? I didn't mean to call you that..."_

Silver stretched almost to standing to hit the high notes as Sonic, Shadow, Vector and Knuckles growled along in the background. Espio, Blaze, and Amy all sang along in the mid section, not quite as enthusiastic as their albino friend. They all leaned close together as the chorus approached then splayed out like a firework of limbs and sound.

"_PLEASE TELL ME WHY! My car is in the front yard and I'm sleeping with my clothes on! I came in through the window last night and you're gone..._" They all laughed and continued on, Sonic and Silver eventually wove their arms across Amy's shoulders and rocked side to side. She was too caught up in the rush to care, only smiling and singing along with the rest. Vector looked in the rear view mirror, smiling at the happy group of younger adults in the van seats.

"_PLEASE TELL ME WHY!" _Amy shouted, not caring whether or not she was on key. She caught Blaze and Shadow leaning together and pumping their fists with their eyes closed. For once, they looked completely carefree.

"_MY CAR IS IN THE FRONT YARD! AND I'M..."_

_ "SLEEPING WITH MY CLOTHES ON!"_

_ "I CAME IN THROUGH THE WINDOW LAST NIGHT," _Sonic, Knuckles and Espio tried to harmonize their yelling, but failed.

The whole van all sang soulfully, "_And you're gone, gone..._ _Ah-OOOOO!"_

The guitar and drums clashed together and the passengers sang different parts as though they were in a choir, giggling when Sonic's voice cracked during his opera mockery and when Knuckles kept singing after the song had closed out. Amy leaned back in her seat, wiped her tears of laughter away.

"Oh my goodness," she breathed. "That was too much fun."

"Perfect timing, too!" Vector roared from the driver's seat. He lifted a hand to point ahead of them, where a small town lay in the distance. It was built around a train station that looked at least a hundred years old. Just past the town was an exit where the highway turned into a rocky, two-lane road leading into the foothills and, eventually, the mountains. Vector slowed as they entered the town, "I need to stop for gas. Do you guys wanna grab anything from the corner store while I fill up?"

Sonic's half-lidded eyes burst fully open, "Chili dogs!" He pressed himself against the window as they pulled into a rusted, old gas station. As soon as Vector put the van in park, Sonic yanked the door open and sped away. Amy blinked into the bright, late-noon sun, shielding her eyes with a hand. Knuckles opened his door and got out on the other side, stretching. Espio sighed comfortably before unbuckling himself and sliding out after Sonic. Silver crouched and squeezed between the seats and Amy, turning to offer her a hand.

"Care to come along?" His yellow eyes shimmered pleasantly. Amy nodded happily, taking his hand and jumping out of the van. They started to walk away, but she paused to check on Shadow and Blaze. The two had already kicked their feet up onto the row in front of them and they were sharing a hand-held gaming console of some kind.

"You guys comin'?" Amy asked warmly. Shadow waved a hand and Blaze shook her head.

"Nah. We'll be in Knothole soon enough, so we'll just wait till then."

Amy smirked. It was finally starting to sink in _just_ how much the stoic pair seemed to be chained together. They were inseparable. Something about that made her heart warm and fuzzy and she resolved to tease Blaze about it if she could ever work up the nerve.

"Amy, come _on_!" Silver called from the street corner. She bounded up to him. He linked his arm with hers playfully and then led her down the small main road of the town.

"So, where is this place?" She peered curiously through the windows of all the tiny shops lining the street. Silver shrugged and narrowed his eyes, scanning for signs of Sonic up ahead.

"It's just a blip on the map called Acorn Cut-off, barely a town by population standards. Sonic's been coming here for years, every time there's the slightest hint of a break or vacation. As long as we've known him, anyway." Amy hummed in understanding. They caught up to Sonic inside a tiny general store a block away from the gas station. He was standing at the counter, stroking his chin as he perused the glass case displaying hot dogs spinning on a metal rack. A weary squirrel stood behind the counter. He blinked dryly.

"Have you decided what you want?"

Sonic narrowed his eyes, turning to look at the ancient-looking menu dangling over the counter, "Yeah... I'll have two chili dogs and uh, one of those lemon-lime sodas, I guess." The squirrel pulled two hot dogs from the rack and prepared them. Sonic turned to Amy and Silver, "Oh, hey." He ran his hands through his quills, "You slowpokes have finally caught up."

"Where's Espio?" Amy stood on her tip toes to see over the shop's shelves, "I thought he came after you."

"Nah," Sonic waved a hand in the direction of the street, "he's stopping at the bookstore next door."

"Oh man," Silver suddenly pressed a hand to the glass case, "they have _taquitos_!" He and Sonic began to fervently discuss various gas-station and corner store foodstuffs. Amy walked deeper into the store, chuckling to herself when she found the souvenir section. It was filled with the usual bizarre statuettes and key-chains that were plastered with unfunny jokes about the town. The snow globes were all filled with artists' renditions of acorns. She moved past the shelf and onto the drinks section, where she grabbed a strawberry milk for herself and some sodas for Shadow, Blaze, Vector and Knuckles. When she reached the front counter again, Sonic and Silver were arguing over whether or not macaroni and cheese from a corner store counted as its own type of food. The squirrel cashier looked distraught. She laughed and placed the her items on the counter with Sonic and Silver's orders.

"I'll pay, this time."

That seemed to catch the two other hedgehogs' attention. Sonic tried to reach around her to swipe his debit card, "Not on my watch, Ames!"

She playfully shoved him away, "Oh, come on... You guys paid for Twinkle Park and all that. I have my allowance this time!" Sonic pouted. Silver threw an arm over his shoulders.

"Hey, she's a grownup. She can treat us if she wants to." He waggled his eyebrows, "We're gonna be treating her _later_ anyway, ya know?" He and Sonic shared a conspiratory chuckle, rubbing their hands together. Amy giggled nervously and grabbed the bag from the cashier before jogging back to the car. Soon, everyone was piled back inside and they were on their way. The van pulled off onto the exit and they were surrounded by towering trees. The road went up... and up... Deep in the foothills, there were breaks between the trees. Amy saw wide, blue rivers rushing through the hills, bordered by rocky shores. The setting sun glinted off the currents.

"So, where exactly _is_ Knothole?" Amy asked.

Knuckles gave a short, booming laugh, "Ha! In the middle of _nowhere_."

Sonic snorted, "Knuckles, you live on _Angel Island_. You have no room to talk!"

The echidna frowned, "But Angel Island is in the middle of the ocean. The ocean isn't nowhere!"

Sonic waved a hand at their surroundings, "And neither is West Mobius."

Amy tapped Knuckles' shoulder, "Where's Angel Island? That's a pretty name!"

He puffed out his chest proudly, "It _is_ a pretty name! For a pretty island! It's miles and miles west from the coast. Maybe we can all go there together sometime!"

"Then you're dad will talk our ears off about 'guardianship' and all that..." Blaze muttered under her breath. Shadow stifled a dark chuckle. Amy wondered if she should ask, but Knuckles was already describing his home in vivid detail.

* * *

It was six o'clock and they had nearly exhausted Knuckles' extensive music library. Sonic's legs had started bouncing uncontrollably due to his restlessness. Silver was antsy as well, rocking back and forth and humming along with the music. Amy was dozing.

"We're here!" Vector cried happily, startling Amy out of her catnap. She peered through the twilight, observing the new setting. They had just driven into the midst of a small town, though not quite as small as Acorn Cut-off. The buildings were Victorian style, showing their age in a stately manner. The main street was filled with lit shops and groups of pedestrians. Amy thought it all looked nice and homey. The van continued into the residential area and Amy perked up, curious to see what kind of house Sonic lived in. She grew confused when they passed the outskirts of town and kept going.

"Um... wasn't _that_ Knothole?"

"Yeah!" Vector nodded, "But we aren't staying at some boring house! We're going camping!"

"What?" Amy blinked. She suddenly realized why they had all packed so much luggage.

"It's tradition!" The crocodile grinned, showing off his sharp teeth in a friendly manner. They turned off on a dirt road and eventually pulled to a stop on a gravel semi-circle facing a stand of trees. "Okay, everybody grab your bags! You know the drill! Except you, Amy, but I'm sure one of these guys will help you out." He got out and opened the side panel of the van, moving on to open the back. The passengers all exited the vehicle, stretching. Sonic grabbed Amy's bag when she pulled it from the pile.

"I got this, Ames." He flashed her one of those smiles that made her belly feel like jello. She tugged on the strap of her bag.

"N-no, it's fine! I'm a big girl."

He shook his head, "I insist. It's a bit of a walk to the campsite." He moved his face close to hers and winked, "Don't want you getting too tired before the real fun starts." Unable to argue with his green eyes so close, she simply gasped a bit and nodded in agreement. When everyone was loaded up, they trekked up a small trail in the trees. Everyone was chatting amiably, the excitement for the break setting in fully. Butterflies fluttered in Amy's stomach as she felt the mood shift.

_This is my first time staying with new people..._

A light flickered through the trees in the distance. They continued up the trail until they burst through the trees. They were standing in a circular meadow which extended enough in any direction to house several tents. In the middle of it all was a huge campfire. A couple small tents were already set up beside it. Amy noticed a cute rabbit sitting on a log bench by the campfire wearing an orange romper. She cracked a wide smile when she noticed the group.

"It's Mr. Sonic! And everyone!" She flapped a hand at one of the tents, "Tails, Mr. Sonic is here!" A fox with two tails and wearing goggles popped out of one of the tents, his long, springy bangs bouncing after brushing against the tent door. He examined the new group of people standing in front him and frowned.

"You're late! Cream and I set up _ages_ ago!" He leaned back on his hip and tapped a foot. Sonic threw down his bags and bounded over to the fox, laughing. He gripped him in a loose choke hold and rubbed his knuckles against his head.

"Nice to see ya too, _Tails_." Sonic snickered as Tails struggled against his hold. "For all you've grown, you haven't gotten any stronger, little bro."

Amy's eyebrows shot up, "Little brother? Really?"

Tails sagged in Sonic's arm and sighed, "Not biological... I'm adopted."

"Oh," Amy winced, "sorry."

Sonic finally released his hold and Tails stood, straightening his goggles, "Don't be. I'm not concerned about it. But I _am_ concerned about my brother being totally _terrible_ at answering his texts!" He whirled on Sonic, jabbing a finger into his chest, "I texted you like _fifty _times!"

Sonic pulled his phone out, letting out a low whistle, "Try seventy-five. Anyway, Tails, buddy, just sit back and relax. We're all here, now."

Tails sniffed, "You're just glad I saw fit to grace you with my presence." Amy bit her lip, unsure if he was joking or not. Knuckles stomped over and swatted Tails in the head.

"Hey now, when'd you get all mouthy? What happened to the cute kid who used to follow us around everywhere?"

The rabbit, who Amy assumed was the 'Cream' Tails mentioned, skipped over, "Tails has just been looking forward to this trip! He really missed Mr. Sonic!"

Tails' cheeks flushed, "I-I..."

"Aw!" Sonic pulled the fox into a vice-like hug, "I missed you too, little buddy!"

Tails just slumped, "...Whatever."

Cream noticed Amy hovering half-behind Vector. She leaned over whimsically, smiling at the unfamiliar addition to the group, "Hi! We haven't met yet! I'm Cream!" She smiled so brightly her eyes crinkled up. Amy was encouraged at the sight and stepped forward.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Amy Rose."

"What a pretty name!"

Amy giggled nervously, "Oh... um, thank you!"

"I'm starving," Knuckles tossed his bag aside and set down the cooler he was carrying. "Let's get some food going!"

"Yeah," Shadow rumbled, "for once I agree with you." He and Knuckles started rooting through the cooler. Blaze and Espio quietly moved away to one of the tent pads in the circle and started setting up the rest of the shelters.

* * *

"O-oh." Amy had gone to the cooler to grab some sort of snack from one of the coolers, but blanched when she lifted the lid. It was chock full of... booze.

"Good call, Amy!" Knuckles, who was walking by, grabbed a beer and continued on his way. The others quickly surrounded her, asking to be handed this-or-that, or reaching next to her and helping themselves. Tails reached for a beer. Amy jolted.

"Hey! Aren't you underage?"

Tails' nose twitched, "N-no! Um... Sonic usually lets me drink anyway!"

Amy tilted her head, considering, "...I don't know... Are you sure?" Tails gulped. Sonic turned, hearing his name. He noticed the beer in Tails' hand and sauntered up, throwing an arm over his shoulders. He took the beer from the spluttering fox's grip.

"Thanks, Tails! Aw man, you know just what I need..." He popped it open, taking a large swig right in front of Tails' blue eyes. Tails threw his head back.

"Ugh! Please, Sonic? I just want one..."

Sonic swished a mouthful around, deliberating. He swallowed and handed the can back, "Just a sip." Tails excitedly tossed the can back and took a big gulp. He started coughing almost immediately, wiping his tongue with a hand and hacking.

"It's... _gross_! Why on Mobius do you _drink_ that stuff?"

Sonic grabbed the can back, laughing, "Hey, man, _you_ were the one who wanted it so bad you tried to pull a fast one on Ames! Don't think you can sweet-talk your way into tricking her just 'cause she's cute."

Tails flushed pink and extricated himself from Sonic's arm, "F-fine! I'm gonna go talk to Shadow!" He stomped away.

Sonic spun on his heel, "Actually, that's not a half-bad idea."

Tails paused, "What do you mean?"

"Yeah," Amy's brows knit, "what do you mean?"

Sonic grabbed Amy's hand and pulled her towards the campfire, "Amy, you gotta see this. It's time," he pulled a bottle of tequila from the cooler, "for 'Ask Drunk Shadow'."


End file.
